


Protection: A Black Tie Occasion

by Madame_Forget_Me_Not



Category: Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: BAMF Hades, BAMF Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), BDSM elements, But only a little, Communication, Drama, Dread Queen, F/M, Female Friendship, First Kiss, Fluff, Friendship, Fuck Apollo, Getting Together, Guilt, Healthy Relationships, Heavy Petting, Hurt/Comfort, I made Demeter a good mom, Jealousy, Kissing, Male-Female Friendship, Manipulation, Mental Torture, Mentions of Violence, Mild Language, Mild Smut, Mood Swings, Murder, Past Rape/Non-con, Persephone is definitely a more viscous bean here than in canon, Poseidon is a sweetie, Punishment, Revenge, Romance, Sappy, Self-Esteem Issues, Trials, True Love, Violence, Weddings, Zeus is an asshole, divine retribution, follows episode 127, lots of artistic license taken
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:14:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 29,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27132994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madame_Forget_Me_Not/pseuds/Madame_Forget_Me_Not
Summary: Hades sighed, rubbing a hand over his jaw, “Technically, yes. The problem with that is the first realm you were a citizen in receives primacy in matters of criminal law, except in the case of…” His eyes grew wide, meeting Hecate’s.She followed his train of thought. “It would also provide more protection that way.”Hades seemed to entertain an idea, “Yes, but…I couldn’t do that to her!”“Even if her life was on the line?”Zeus is pursuing a trial against Persephone, goddess of spring, (previously?) MIA. Hades, having threatened the breaking of the triarchy, tries to search for a way to save Persephone without plunging the three realms into chaos. He will need the help of several other gods and goddesses on the way. With so many deities involved with such high stakes, inevitably, these will be occasions to remember.
Relationships: Demeter & Persephone (Lore Olympus), Eros & Persephone (Lore Olympus), Hades & Hecate (Lore Olympus), Hades/Persephone (Lore Olympus), Hecate & Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Hera & Persephone (Lore Olympus)
Comments: 231
Kudos: 321





	1. Legality and Communication

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not fast pass, so this will likely be very canon non-compliant in just a few days, but I couldn't get the idea out of my head.  
> This starts after Hades sees the tree in Tartarus growing. He found Persephone there and brought her back to the office.
> 
> This has explanations of past rape and violence. If those trigger you, I would likely avoid this.
> 
> See end notes for references to Persephone's wardrobe. 
> 
> Enjoy!

_She’s here. She’s safe. She’s here. She’s safe._ These were the thoughts that cycled through Hades’ mind on repeat as he held Persephone close to him. He had been so worried he ached, and he finally had the proof she was okay in his arms. It still felt unreal.

Then came the talk, the confession, getting the story straight. What really happened, the extent of her powers that she knew of, the lies. Part of him was furious, that he hadn’t realized the coverup in his own realms, but no amount of anger could overshadow the joy and relief that he felt being with Persephone again and hearing the honest words come from her mouth.

He wiped away her tears when they fell, but she soldiered forth with her tale of wrath and desired redemption until it was done. Finally, when the last duplicity was cleared away, she let out a deep sigh. Her shoulders slumped as she did, and she leaned against the taller god. It was as though a giant weight had been lifted off her. She was exhausted. Still, there was one more thing to come to light, something that wasn’t a lie but concealment.

“I understand now why you didn’t tell anyone about the crime, but why did you run? Did you know that someone was going to tell Zeus?” Hades asked. He still wasn’t sure who exactly tipped off his little brother, though there would be no mercy for them when he found out.

Persephone closed her eyes, biting her bottom lip. She shook her head slowly. “I had no idea. I was…trying to figure out a different problem.”

Hades tipped her chin up, trying to look into her eyes. She couldn’t maintain eye contact. “What is it that needed such extreme action? Please, sweetness, let me help you.”

A single tear rolled down her cheek. “I didn’t want to tell you. I didn’t want to change the way you looked at me…the way you _feel_ about me.”

Hades’ heart broke to see her pained so. He guided her to the couch with him, holding her hands all the while. She curled one leg underneath her, squeezing his hands tightly enough that Hades’ bones began to grind together; he couldn’t find it in him to care.

“Kore, there is nothing that could change the way I feel about you. Nothing at all.” He took a big breath, seeing the fear still in those big magenta eyes. “Kore, sweetness, you have to know—I-I lo—”

“Please don’t!” She covered his mouth quickly with her hands. His eyebrows scrunched in surprise; before he could feel the heartbreak that was coming, she continued, “Please, not until I tell you. If…if you feel that was afterwards, if that doesn’t change…”

Hades took her hands from where they were keeping his mouth shut and kissed them gently. “Whenever you’re ready, sweetness.”

“This isn’t going to be easy for me, so please don’t say anything until I’m done, okay?” Persephone took a deep breath. “Do you remember the first night we spoke on the phone?” He nodded. “You said I sounded sad…and you were right. I was sad, well, devastated really, and so confused. A few minutes before we spoke, I was raped.” It was still so hard for her to say the words. The word was like a jolt to Hades’ system, and she felt him tense. His teeth snapped together, but, still, he didn’t say anything. His sclera were a deep scarlet, however, indicating the severity of his emotion. “I didn’t even know what had happened until later, when I spoke to Eros. I was able to _show_ him, you know? And he’s the one who told me what it was. It was so hard because I couldn’t tell anyone else, not with who it was. And then he kept following me and tried to get me to believe I was _his girl_ and he just wouldn’t listen to me! And he, he got up on this high horse about how he was so special and I should just throw away everything, and I couldn’t hide from him—he followed me to school, he always texted, he would come over to the house, and I couldn’t tell Artemis because she wouldn’t believe me or it would break her heart or both, and—” Persephone realized she was rambling at the same time she realized she had given away the identity of her attacker. It was like a dam had broken, and all her pent-up thoughts and feelings were bursting forth. “And…and…he took pictures, during. He _took pictures of me while he raped me,_ Hades! And he was threatening to release them if I told anyone. I didn’t know what to do, but like you said—that shitty little sun god can’t come here. So, I hid where he couldn’t find me. I hid in the place he would never, ever go.”

It all clicked in Hades’ mind. The negative reaction to photography, her fearful reaction to Apollo, his ridiculous possessive behavior, all of it made sense.

He reached out, hugging her to him tightly; she squeezed him back just as hard. They stayed like that for a few moments.

“May I speak now?” Hades asked in a voice much calmer than how he felt. He felt Persephone’s nod against his chest. “Give me the word, little goddess, and I will _destroy_ Phoebus Apollo. His suffering will be terrible. You will have justice, revenge, vengeance, whatever you desire. All you have to do is give the command.” His voice was deep, almost a growl, predatory. Where Persephone figured others would feel fear, she felt excitement. This incredibly powerful being was promising to avenge _her_ , to be in service to _her_ , no one else. It was a heady feeling.

“I’ll keep that in mind. I don’t know if I’m ready for it yet, but I do want help. If nothing else, I want a way to get the pictures gone. Then, he doesn’t have much else over my head.”

“What else does he have to threaten you with?” Hades asked, voice still pitched low.

“He could tell the members of TGOEM that I’m no longer a virgin. Though I did plan on resigning from the group once I saved up enough money from the internship to pay back the scholarship, I want to be the one to control the narrative.” She met his eyes steadily finally. He was awed by the strength and composition she showed.

“Then you will. I assure you, retrieving the device the photos were taken on is something the furies are perfectly capable of doing. Exacting justice is in their job description, sweetness.” Hades cupped her cheek in his hand. She leaned into it, bringing up her own hand to hold his in place.

“I think I’d like that. Could I think on it though, before we send them to act? I want to think it through.”

“Of course. This is something we can do in your time,” he assured her, though they both knew it wasn’t completely true; they would have to act before Apollo, but first, they had to address the issue with Zeus. Before that, however, Hades needed to reassure the goddess of spring. “Kore?”

“Hmm?” Persephone was focusing on his hand on her cheek, his closeness, and the feelings they brought to her. She was keenly aware of everywhere he was touching her. Each spot felt like it had its own little electrical hum. She shivered, remembering how much more intense that feeling was when they kissed. She had the powerful desire to do it again.

“I want to f-finish what I was saying b-b-before,” Hades stuttered out, his sudden nerves getting the best of him. She looked up at him, eyebrows raised quizzically. Seeing the warmth, the trust, in her expression, Hades’ nerves disappeared just as soon as they had come over him. In their place was a pure sense of _rightness_. “Absolutely nothing could change how I feel about you. I know we haven’t known each other long, but I have spent millennia alive, and I have never felt even close to what I feel for you for any other being. I would give anything to ensure your happiness. I would raze armies to see you smile. I’d give up my throne if you asked. I am entirely yours,” he took a deep breath. “Persephone, I love you.”

Her breath hitched in her throat as his words washed over her, their truth evident. His eyes glittered in sincerity; his cheeks were mildly flushed from his intensity. Her heart raced in her chest, forcing ichor through her veins so quickly she felt a little dizzy. A warmth spread through her whole being unlike any she had known. She had apparently been silent a beat too long as Hades began to sputter out, confidence gone, “I-I underst-stand that this is very s-sudden, a-and w-we haven’t known each other v-very long! I don’t expect you t-to say it back immediately, or at-at all, but I j-just wanted you to _know_ , and—”

Persephone surged forward, capturing his lips with her own. A tad too aggressive at first, she felt pain in her lips from the accidental crash of lips to teeth, but then Hades kissed her back, and everything fell into place. The feel on his mouth against hers, flickers of tongue between them, his hands fluttering over her not knowing whether to grab her hips, her back, or her neck, his winter fire scent surrounding her…she felt consumed by him, by their mutual need for one another, and it made natural sense to climb into his lap, straddling him.

Her dress hitched up higher on her thighs, another place for his hands to roam. He shivered at the smoothness he felt there, almost like silk. The scent of forget-me-nots filled the air as they bloomed in her hair, their petals fluttering down occasionally. Her own natural honeysuckle and floral scent filled his nose; she smelled of life, of vibrancy, and the god of the dead knew he would never get enough.

Persephone’s hands flew to his hair, her fingernails lightly scratching his scalp as she tugged on the white locks. Hades sucked in a quick breath in surprised pleasure before nipping her lip in retaliation. Unfamiliar with the feelings that came with more intimate physical acts, Persephone didn’t even consider holding back the small moans that were escaping her throat. She shivered as his fingertips lightly traced up and down her thighs. Without thinking, she pushed herself even closer, grinding herself down onto his lap.

Hades let out a deep groan, shuddering beneath her. “Little goddess, we need to stop.”

Despite his words, his hips were moving slightly under hers. Persephone was losing herself in how it felt. She had never imagined being with someone else could feel so good, and they hadn’t even done that much.

“Why?” she breathed out.

“Because,” he gasped as she continued her ministrations, “we have…other things…we need to talk about.” He grabbed her hips, stilling her movements. She glared at him, and Hades knew he had never seen a pout so utterly delectable. After a beat, however, the lust in her eyes gradually transformed into one of deep affection.

“You’re right,” she smiled softly, her hands coming up to cradle. “We need to talk about how I am in love with you as well.”

Hades lost his breath, searching all over her face for any signs of falsehoods, any chance he was just imagining things, or she was lying to spare his feelings. All the while, he tried to bat down the hope in case it wasn’t true, years of feelings of inadequacy fighting the pure faith that this goddess would never treat him as the others in his past did. All he found in her face, her eyes, her tone, her body language, was that which confirmed her statement.

“Truly?” he whispered, not being able to manage more than that in his vulnerable state.

“Absolutely,” she murmured back, no less resolute for her lack of volume.

Unbeknownst to Hades, tears fell down his cheeks. He couldn’t get enough of just looking at the woman who stole his heart, who—in just a few short weeks—turned his entire world upside in the best way. “Say it again. Please.”

“I love you, Hades,” she smiled, gently wiping away his tears. “I love you so much it scares me, but I trust you with my whole heart.”

A chocked sob forced its way from the back of his throat as he clutched her too him tightly, his head resting on her chest. As he heard her heartbeat, felt her soothing ministrations, heard her affectionate words, he knew he would do it all again—suffer every hardship and heartbreak and abuse he ever endured once more—if it meant he could be here in her arms at the end of the day.

Within an hour, Hecate was arriving at Tower 1 in a hurry. The quick text from Hades (‘ _Persephone safe. My office. We need to talk when convenient._ ’) had her transferring from her home in the middle of the night, barely taking time to make herself presentable. When she opened the king’s office door and found the goddess of spring curled in his lap as he ran his hands through her hair, blissful looks on both their faces, relief filled her body.

“You’re okay!” she gasped on, hand clutching her chest in an uncharacteristic show of intense emotion. She closed the office door behind her, mindful of the nightshift crew. There needed to be no news to Olympus until they made a decision, and sometimes people could be a little too chatty.

Persephone looked up, smiling abashedly. She unfolded herself from Hades’ lap (his disgruntled pout made him look much younger) and walked towards Hecate, arms outstretched. The other goddess met her halfway, hugging her tightly before pulling back and holding her shoulders; Hecate looked her over from head to toe, noting the tangled hair and mildly ripped clothing (evidence of dirt and brambles, so it didn’t occur in the office) as well as the tired bags under her eyes. Despite overall looking more worn-for-wear than usual, she had a certain glow about her. In conjunction with the completely besotted look on her boss’ face, it didn’t take much critical thinking to figure out there had been a substantial dynamic shift there.

“We were so worried,” Hecate admonished her. “Where have you been?”

Persephone bit her lip. “Tartarus.”

Hecate blinked once. Then twice. Then once again. “I’m sorry, I seem to have misheard. I simply can’t believe that you said you were in Tartarus, the most inhospitable place in all the realms, the place where you were _attacked the last time you were there_. It is utterly incomprehensible that a goddess of your intellect would _ever_ hide out in _Tartarus_ when there were other places to turn to in refuge.” The yellow glow in her eyes intensified. There was that distinct air of wild energy around her that she usually kept repressed, and the tingle of magic was felt in the air. For just a moment, Persephone could have sworn there were three goddesses in front of her before Hecate solidified into only one being once more.

“ _Hecate_ ,” Hades warned, sensing Persephone’s emotional distress.

“No, no, she’s right to be upset with me,” Persephone told him. “It wasn’t the smartest thing I had ever done, but I didn’t know how to face what was happening, or if I would even have any support when it all came out.”

“The massacre in the village, you mean?” Hecate asked.

“Well, that, but there’s more,” Persephone sighed. “You might want to sit down.”

After Persephone explained what had happened with Apollo and the blackmail, more articulately the second time around, Hecate had a clearer picture and a huge vendetta against the god of the sun.

“Thank you for coming forward now. Just for reference, though, Persephone,” Hecate reached out and took her hand, “we’re friends. You can always come to me for support, truly.”

“Thank you,” Persephone sighed, hugging the goddess of magic. She felt more comfort having Hecate on her side.

“Of course, just…please, never scare me like that again,” Hecate said softly before her smile turned into a smirk, “or Hades, for that matter. The poor man was a mess.”

“Hey!” Hades protested, before he shifted into grudging acceptance. “OH! I almost forgot!” He darted up to go to his desk, pulling something out from one of the drawers. Persephone gasped in surprise.

“My comb!” she excitedly took it from Hades’ hand before looking guilty. “You found it?”

“Embarrassed the hell out of me getting it back, too,” Hecate rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

“It seems like I keep having to say thank you and I’m sorry today,” Persephone smiled sheepishly.

“Consider it a blanket sentiment,” Hades murmured, taking the comb and using it to pin back her hair on one side. Both of them blushed, caught in the other’s gaze. Hecate cleared her throat, disrupting the intimacy of the moment.

“Although I am genuinely happy you two are together now—you _are_ together now, right?” They both nodded. “Good. As I was saying, despite the new relationship gushy feelings, we need to address something of significant importance: Persephone’s upcoming trial and the threat of war between the kingdoms.”

“War?” Persephone almost shouted in surprise. “What do you mean, _war_?”

Hades’ countenance changed; he appeared grim, fierce, resolute. “Zeus said he intends to make an example of you. I told him that, if he chose that path, he was choosing to dissolve the triarchy as I would actively go against the ruling and break from Olympus. I would not stand for it. You _will not_ be sent to Tartarus to be punished, not as long as I am king.” His skin changed, turning dark as night with swirling constellations appearing. Persephone shivered, attempting to repress the pull of her own primal form. She had been unprepared that day in the hospital, but she had more awareness now.

“Easy there, your majesty,” Hecate said. “We need a plan, not chaos, at least, not _total_ chaos.” She smirked. “What we need is to get a legal plan. Luckily, I already reached out to our lawyer once you called me earlier following your meeting with Zeus, so she’s on standby. In the meantime, however, we need to address the fact that, as of now, Persephone has no real protection.”

“She has me,” Hades growled.

“I am not discounting that,” Hecate shook her head. “But right now, she’s a citizen of Olympus, directly under Zeus’ jurisdiction. He has ultimate say.” Hades glared at her, working through the problem in his head.

“So, why don’t I just change citizenship to a different realm?” Persephone asked.

“That would be ideal,” Hecate agreed. “The issue is that it isn’t as simple as signing a paper here, and that’s that. There is still documentation that would need to be done in Olympus before it would be approved to annul your Olympian citizenship. However, you’re to be immediately arrested if you’re found there, so just going to a courthouse isn’t going to work either.”

“But,” Persephone countered, “people can have dual citizenship.”

Hades sighed, rubbing a hand over his jaw, “Technically, yes. The problem with that is the first realm you were a citizen in receives primacy in matters of criminal law, except in the case of…” His eyes grew wide, meeting Hecate’s.

She followed his train of thought. “It would also provide more protection that way.”

Hades seemed to entertain an idea, “Yes, but…I couldn’t do that to her!”

“Even if her life was on the line?”

“I—”

“I am still here,” Persephone glared at the blue deities. _Curse mother for not training me more in jurisdictional, multi-realm politics_. “What couldn’t you do to me? What is the exception?”

“I…” Hades seemed to flounder. Hecate rolled her eyes.

“The exception is marriage,” she stated. Persephone’s eyes snapped to her. “If a woman marries a man of another realm, she automatically receives citizenship in his realm of residence. Since it is seen as her joining his house, his realm becomes her realm of primacy.”

“Meaning,” Persephone said slowly, “if I were to marry someone who lived in the Underworld—”

“You would be my citizen first, Zeus’ second. I would have much more legal say over any happenings. Your crime would have been in his realm, but you would be my responsibility,” Hades explained. Persephone seemed deep in thought. “Of course, you should never be forced into anything like this! Marriage shouldn’t be for business or safety—”

“Marriage has always been a tool for business among men and of safety for women, both mortal and divine,” Hecate snapped. “You have had the privilege of not having that fact dictate your life yet. Just look at how your baby brother forces women to marry specific men to sweeten business and political dealings he has! Young goddesses live in fear and trepidation for the day that King Zeus comes knocking with their future decided for them!”

Hades blinked at her in surprise. “I see. My apologies. But it doesn’t make it right.”

“No, no it doesn’t.”

“What did you mean it would add _more_ protection?” Persephone interrupted them, not seeming bothered by what they were saying. “What would be more protection than marrying into the realm?”

Hades gulped, forcing out a few hushed words.

“Sorry,” Persephone’s lips twitched in a smile, “was that Greek? Or some ancient gibberish?”

“Sassy goddess,” Hades narrowed his eyes at her. She just grinned in response. _How is she so calm about this?_ he wondered. He took a deep breath. “Being…royal…would be more protection.”

Persephone’s eyebrows rose to her hairline. “R-royal?”

Hades panicked, “Not if you didn’t want to! I-I mean, if you even wanted to get married anyway! Obviously, it doesn’t have to be me, unless, I mean, you want it to be, but, then, you didn’t even say you wanted to get married, and we just got together, and of course you wouldn’t want to marry me, you’re you, and I’m well…” Persephone flew up a few feet and cut off the rambling king with a kiss.

“Hades, my love, calm down,” she said. “ _If_ I were to get married right now, or ever, really, I think there’s only one god for me,” she blushed, looking down demurely. Hades blushed as well.

“R-really?” he stuttered. She nodded.

“Hades,” Hecate whispered, eyeing him then the floor, back and forth a few times aggressively, trying to drill in the message.

“Ah,” he gasped. He dusted off his suit sleeves and adjusted his tie before taking Persephone’s hands in his and sinking to one knee. The movement brought her to standing on solid ground once more. Hades cleared his throat. “Persephone, goddess of spring, I know we’ve only known each other for a short time, but in that time, you have changed my life for the better. I once said I would pay you to barge into every aspect of my life, and I wasn’t joking. I want you beside me, for the rest of my days. So I ask you, not out of convenience or necessity, but because I truly love you from the bottom of my heart: Kore, will you marry me?” He clutched his right hand in a fist for a moment before opening it, displaying the large gem he had produced; he would have to get it set in a band later.

Persephone’s eyes filled with tears as a smile split her face. “Nothing would bring me greater joy than to get to spend my future with you.”

Hades face lit up. “Is that a yes?”

She giggled, nodding. “Yes!”

Hades stood up, picking her up bridal style as he rose, kissing her with as much passion as he could muster. He didn’t think he could ever articulate his excitement, his gratefulness, the complete joy he felt in that moment, but he could try to articulate it in the way his lips moved with hers. Between kisses, he was smiling. “You’ll be my queen?”

“Only if you’ll be my king,” she responded, pulling him back in for another kiss.

“Congratulations,” Hecate said warmly. “I’m truly, so happy for the both of you. Are you prepared to get married tonight? The sooner we do this, the safer Persephone will be.”

The newly engaged couple looked at one another then nodded.

“Who will preside?” Persephone asked.

Hades and Hecate smirked at each other, then asked in unison, “Who else?”

“Royalty speaking. Whoever has the audacity to call me at this ungodly hour must either have the most important news or be prepared for imprisonment in Tartarus.”

“Hera,” a soft feminine voice carried through phone, “it’s me.”

Hera sat up straight in bed, grateful her husband hadn’t come home that night. Once she had heard his plan about _examples_ , they had a fight like they hadn’t in ages. He was off nursing his wounds, likely with one of the many women he saw whenever he was pissed off at his wife or vice versa.

“Persephone?” she whispered, still cautious.

“Yes.”

“Where are you?” Hera stood, getting out of bed and pulling on a robe. She produced a cigarette and began smoking as she listened.

“Hades found me. Look, I…I need to ask you a favor, but I don’t want to put you out.”

“Name it,” Hera said, interrupting before she could start rambling with apologies.

“I know it’s terribly late, but is there any chance that you could meet me in Hades’ office as soon as possible?”

Hera cocked an eyebrow. “Do I need to bring anything?”

“…do you happen to have a white dress?”

Hera showed up to Hades’ office within an hour of Persephone’s phone call. When she saw the little pink goddess, Hera couldn’t stop herself from hastening over to hug her.

“I’m so happy you’re safe,” Hera murmured, her hand running through Persephone’s hair. It was the maternal affection Persephone had been missing so much, what she hadn’t realized she needed since moving. Despite how she typically tried to be mature and respectful around the queen of the gods, she found herself gripping her back fiercely and letting out a sob.

“I’m so sorry,” she apologized. “I-I just…there’s been _so much_!”

“Shh, there, there, little one. You’re going to be okay. We’re going to make this right,” Hera comforted her. Her voice was nothing like the sharp, sarcastic tones she frequently used throughout the day or dealing with strangers (or her husband); instead, it was low, soothing, like warm velvet. It calmed Persephone much more quickly than she anticipated. Once the tears stopped, her breathing returned to normal, and she was able to blow her nose, they were all able to sit down and talk.

While Persephone and Hecate caught Hera up with what was going on, Hades made them all drinks. Hera had her standard gin and tonic, Hades his scotch, and he made a special blend of Hecate’s herbal tea for her and Persephone ( _his future wife!_ ). He watched the interaction between three of the most important women in his life. He finally felt like everything was coming together, even at the same time that things were falling apart.

“So, you and Hades want to get married?” Hera asked, gaze shifting between the two. Hades leaned up against his desk, scotch in his left hand while he reached out for Persephone’s with his right. She held his without hesitation. She met his eyes; he found himself absolutely enraptured.

“We do,” she smiled.

Hera suppressed her ecstatic grin already knowing the answer to her next question. “And you would want this even away from the pressure of the upcoming trial?”

“Absolutely,” Hades replied, voice husky; they still hadn’t broken their gaze.

“Excellent,” Hera finally let out a little giggle. It made her sound much younger, and it was enough to shock Hades into looking over. He quirked an eyebrow. The golden goddess just smiled, blue eyes bright. “I’m truly happy for you both. This is a marriage I’m eager to perform and bless. _But_ we are going to make a statement.”

“Oh?” Hecate said, finally speaking up. She had her teacup poised in front of her mouth; she looked absolutely invigorated.

_There’s that primordial chaos she’s been missing_ , Hades chuckled to himself.

“Hades, do you have a ring?” Hera asked. He shook his head.

“I have gems, but I can’t make the setting myself. This proposal was very…spur of the moment.”

“We need to rectify that. Call your jeweler, pay them to wake up and get to work.” He did as he was told, pulling out his cell phone and stepping away to the corner of the room to have a semblance of quiet for the conversation. “Hecate, let me see your phone for a moment.” The goddess handed it over. “I want you to get in contact with my fashion designer, tell him I have an immediate rush order and to get his team ready. We need the dress in under four hours. Tell him it’s for the sketch I send him last week; he should have started it already…There, his number is programed in.” Persephone looked surprised. Before she could ask, Hera said, “I have visions sometimes. I didn’t see who the dress would be for, but I saw it nonetheless and knew it had to be made soon. Now, Persephone, a few things: one, I need you to call Eros using Hades’ desk phone—as much as he can drive me crazy, I need his skills with makeup; two, you, Hades, and I need to speak about Apollo at some point; three, I am going to have to leave for a little while. I am going to have the most difficult task of all, and I need you to be prepared for the fallout.”

“What task?” Persephone asked curiously.

Hera smiled sardonically. “I have to go talk to your mother. I am going to tell her absolutely everything.”

Persephone’s heart dropped into her stomach. “Are you sure that’s the best idea?”

Hera arched an eyebrow. “Are you questioning my judgement?” Persephone quickly shook her head no. “Trust me on this: Demeter will react much better with warning. If she finds out on her own after the fact, who knows what she might do? For all we know, she could go on strike and kill off all the mortals! No, if she would risk the wrath of multiple kings, she would do anything to protect you. Quite frankly, I’m glad you all thought of this plan, because I don’t think anything else would have prevented one of Zeus’ over-the-top punishments barring full-blown war. This is the best way to keep you safe. I’m not saying she will be happy; I’m just saying that this is the best course of action for the most positive results, and she’s a very logic-driven person.”

As everyone separated to do their designated tasks, Persephone found her anxiety running high. She went from thinking she had lost everything, to getting the world with Hades, to facing the wrath of both her mother and the king of the gods. She wished things were simpler, that she just came to Olympus, went to college, and decided what to do with her life peacefully. Then again, she recalled the pressure to join TGOEM and the fact that she wouldn’t be with Hades.

_It’s worth it_ , she assured herself, hoping that time would prove her correct.

“I have to go meet the jeweler, sweetness,” Hades came over to her. “There are a few pieces I need to have made along with your engagement ring. I would like for the crown to be a gift I design you, but Hera also wants me to create a necklace for your gown. What would you like for that to look like?”

Persephone thought for a moment. “I’m not normally a materialistic person, so I don’t want to set this precedent. But, since you make the gems, it won’t be nearly as expensive, right?”

“No, the settings are the cheapest part truthfully. And I want all the stones to be made by me. It makes it more personal,” he smiled softly.

“In that case,” Persephone smirked with a devilish twinkle in her eye, “make me something that will have Zeus fuming at your devotion. Whether that’s simple and intricate or large and sparkly, send a message. I’ll trust your judgement.”

He grinned back just as mischievously. “Whatever you desire, my queen,” he held her hand as he kissed it gently. Persephone’s stomach fluttered. “And the wedding bands?”

“Something simple, I think.”

“Of course.” He brought her close, kissing her firmly. His lips were soft, but the stubble growing on his face scratched at her skin in a delicious way. She barely had a moment to taste him before he had to pull back, leaving them both panting for breath. “Later,” he promised, sinful temptation in his voice. He gave her one last lingering kiss before transferring away.

Persephone blushed, trying to ignore a smirking Hecate in the corner, still mid-conversation. Instead, Persephone walked over to Hades’ desk and picked up the phone. Grateful she had thought to memorize numbers (mama said to never rely fully on technology, after all), she typed in Eros’ number and listened as it rang once, twice, three times.

“Hello?” Eros’ sleep-addled voice came through the phone. “Hades? Have you found Persephone yet?” Her best friend’s panicked voice caused her guilt to spike.

“Don’t say anything out loud,” she quickly warned, “in case anyone is within ear shot.” She heard his small gasp. “I need you to come to Hades’ office if at all possible.”

“Damn it, I was hoping for different news,” he cursed, sounding very frustrated. She was confused until he continued, “But I guess I can come down and continue to help look.” _He isn’t alone_. “Do you need me to bring anything?”

“Bring your make up, as well as something formal. I don’t particularly care what you wear, but I’m assuming you don’t usually wear casual clothes to a wedding.”

She could imagine his face as he heard that, the excitement. He had been rooting for her and Hades since the beginning.

“Of course, anything else?”

“A big hug and an open mind?”

“Hmm,” he murmured. “Luckily I have some of those to spare. I’ll be there as soon as possible. Goodbye, your majesty.”

_Your majesty. Queen. That’ll take some getting used to._

Persephone paced around the room for a while, trying to come to terms with the changes she would be facing.

“Feeling nervous?” Hecate asked.

“About marrying Hades?” Persephone asked. “I’m excited, but not nervous. In all reality, I’m much more terrified of mama’s reaction. That, and my feelings regarding Zeus.”

“What the fuck?” Hecate sputtered out. Persephone had never heard her curse like that before, so it caused her to bark out a laugh.

“No, no! Not romantic feelings, and I’m certainly not attracted to him. It’s more so, I want to rub it in his stupid face that he’s an idiot, and I will not take his shit.”

“Such words for the high king,” a sudden voice said behind her, making her jump. She turned around, and there was Demeter. She looked haggard, only wearing very casual clothes. She looked like she had been crying. “I guess you paid attention when you were small.”

“Mama!” Persephone yelled, lunging into Demeter’s arms. Demeter held her close. “Mama, I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too, little bean. I’m so sorry that all of this is happening.” She pulled back, taking her daughter’s face into her hands. “I want to take you far away from here. Hera told me of your plan.” Her eyes narrowed.

“All of it?”

“You plan to marry Hades,” Demeter’s voice was laced with subdued contempt. Persephone’s shoulders straightened. “I do. Not only is it the best opportunity for me to be safe, but…I love him, mama. And he cares about me too.”

Demeter scoffed. “I’m not sure about that.” Persephone was about to argue, but Demeter held a hand up. “However, I cannot deny that this is the best course of action to ensure your safety if we stay here. Hera convinced me of it.”

“Really?” Persephone asked, tentative hope growing in her chest.

“Darling, I threatened a titan, alone, to try to ensure your safety. I would do anything if I believed it was in your self-interest.”

“Marrying Hades is!” she said emphatically.

“I’m still not…entirely convinced it’s the best of all our options,” Demeter shook her head. “First, I want to speak to him. Where is he?”

“Out getting my engagement ring set along with a few other pieces,” she explained. “He’ll be back as soon as possible.”

“Good. He and I will talk, and then I’ll decide whether we’re going to run away or let you have your way.”

Persephone’s temper flared, and she wanted to fight back, but she saw Hera shaking her head behind Demeter. Persephone took a deep breath. “Thank you for giving this a chance.”

Demeter nodded her head. “I’m not happy about this at all, and I would like to get to the bottom of who leaked this story to Zeus that motivated him to speak to Helios. Apparently, he won’t even tell Hera. As much as I distrust men, I don’t believe Hermes would betray us this way.”

“I agree,” Persephone said. “It’s not like him. He cares about me too much. He’s my friend.”

Demeter looked at her closely, and Persephone saw hurt in her eyes. “How much have you hidden from me, Kore?”

Persephone felt guilt rise again. “Not too much, but I promise, one day, once I’m married, I’ll tell you everything.” Demeter narrowed her eyes again and gave a little harrumph.

“Would you like some tea, Demeter?” Hecate asked. The green goddess gave a tight smile and a small nod. Hecate began to prepare the drinks.

They were all started when they heard a tapping on the glass windows. When Persephone saw the pink winged figure, she grinned, running to the window and flinging it open. She closed it quickly once Eros was inside, doing her best to keep out the cold night air.

“Perse, you’re okay!” Eros had barely landed and dropped his things when he grabbed her around the waist and twirled her around exuberantly. “Where have you been?! We’ve been worried sick!”

“It’s a long story, and I promise to explain it all to you, just not right this second. I’ve given the story quite a few times already.”

“Understandable,” he nodded. His acceptance and trust were two of the reasons she adored the love god so much. Eros finally took note of all the other people in the room. “Oh, hello,” he said, looking much more nervous now that he saw Hera and Demeter.

“They know everything,” Persephone reassured him. “Mama, Hera, Hecate, Hades…they’ve been told it all.”

“ _Everything_ , everything?” he asked. She nodded. His eyes shone with unshed tears. “I am so proud of you,” he hugged her, this time more gently.

“Do you usually keep the company of love gods?” Demeter all but sneered.

“Mama, Eros is a great friend. He’s the one who helped me through everything with the…the assault.”

Demeter looked pained, but her gaze softened on the pink god. She just nodded her head and went back to her silence.

“Your majesty,” Eros nodded to Hera. She rolled her eyes.

“I’m the one who told her to call you, Eros. I asked for you to be here.”

“Oh!” he said, surprised. “Well, that changes my perspective a bit. So, what _am_ I doing here, petal? You mentioned a wedding?” Eros was bouncing on his toes a little, trying to contain his excitement.

“I did,” Persephone grinned. Eros pointed a finger at her, eyebrows raised in question. She nodded, her smile becoming even wider.

“Oh my gods, that’s amazing! I _knew_ I could feel the glow of love on you, but the fact that you’re getting married?! AH!” He had enough energy for ten people, it seemed. “Sorry, such intense love between people, feeling it, it can be really heady. Ever heard the term love drunk? Because that’s how it feels.”

Eros picked up his stuff off the floor and laid the garment bag stretched out on Hades’ desk. “So, you want me to do your make up then?”

“If you don’t mind,” Persephone said sweetly.

“Even if you do mind,” Hera interjected.

“Don’t worry, grandmother, I would not turn down a bride on her wedding day, much less my friend who is about to become _royalty_. Out of curiosity, why such a rush? Actually, hold that—someone show me the dress, and I can work while you catch me up.”

Hera brought over her phone, showing Eros the sketch. “Whoa, that’s gorgeous! I can definitely work with that! Persephone, do not talk. I need my canvas to stay still. Now, could someone else please tell me why the royal wedding is such a small affair?”

An hour and a half later, Eros and Hera were both satisfied with Persephone’s hair and makeup.

“Do I get to see?” Persephone asked.

“Not until you have the dress on. Now, remember not to smudge this—this has to last until court. Speaking of, when are you sending that text to Zeus, Hera?” Eros asked.

“Once the Underworld officially has a queen. I am not going to risk a command issued by Zeus getting in the way of this,” she explained.

As she was speaking, Hades transferred back into his office and was surprised by the fanfare that awaited him. Persephone was turned away from him, so he didn’t see her face, only her hair which had been gathered onto her head in an elaborate updo. He was most surprised to see Demeter sitting on the couch, holding one of his teacups, and glaring at him in something akin to betrayal.

He clutched the case which held all the new jewelry pieces, most of which belonged to his bride, closely to him—almost like a shield, he supposed, feeling just a bit silly.

“Hello, Demeter,” he said politely.

“Aidoneus,” she muttered, much less graciously. “I hear you desire to marry my daughter. That you supposedly _love_ her.”

“I do, to both,” he said fervently.

She stood, glaring at him. “Hera, I know I said I would try to be open-minded, but how can I possibly trust him?”

Hades couldn’t find it in him to be hurt or offended. This had been his life for millennia, constantly judged based on rumors, prejudices, or disgust for his line of work.”

“Demeter, I assure you, I wouldn’t be willing to perform this wedding if I didn’t believe he loved Persephone and would do right by her,” Hera tried to get her to understand. Still Demeter shook her head.

“Mama! Believe me—”

“Kore, I believe that you believe he has feelings for you. But I’ve known too many men, I know his _brothers_. He cannot be trusted—”

“Say what you will of my youngest brother and his inability to be faithful and keep it in his pants,” Hades interrupted, “but don’t cast that onto Poseidon as well. Poseidon and Amphitrite are both fully happy and consenting to their open relationship! He has never violated that. But I don’t want that. I don’t want anyone other than Kore. She’s all I’ve wanted since I met her. I love her, Deme.”

Demeter paused, looking between her daughter and her betrothed. “I…I _can’t_.”

“Wait,” Eros suddenly interrupted. “I can show you.”

Demeter looked at him as though he were crazy. “What do you mean?”

“It’s one of my powers as a love god. If you would both consent, I can let you feel when he feels when he thinks about Persephone. Then you can judge for yourself whether his feelings are true enough for you to give them your blessing.”

Demeter still seemed uncertain, but she and Hades made eye contact for a moment. Both nodded.

“Wonderful. Come, both of you take one of my hands.” Demeter and Hades both moved closer once Hades set down his case. He took Eros’ left hand while Demeter took the right. “Persephone, if you would, come stand in front of Hades.”

Persephone did as requested, walking around Demeter’s back to face Hades directly. His heart seemed to stutter in his chest as he took her in.

She was already the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, but Eros had seemed to highlight and bring out her features. Her eyes were made bolder with the combination of shadow and liner; her lips seemed even more luscious than before; her skin seemed to shine pearlescent where the light hit her face most prominently. Her hair was pulled up into a bun which seemed loose, with strands of hair coming down to frame her face. He could see where the tiara he designed for her would complete the look perfectly. Of course, there was the base lust, but the knowledge that this goddess chose him, loved him, wanted to spend eternity by his side, shattered his heart and put it back together at the same time. He was overcome with the gratefulness, excitement, and small amounts of fear that he would never be good enough. All of this was underlined with pure devotion.

Demeter gasped as the emotions flowed from Hades through Eros and into her.

Persephone walked closer to the group of them, not breaking eye contact with Hades as she held out her hand, touching Eros’ palm next to Hades. Eros shuddered as her emotions flowed through him as well. They were similar, just as intense, but where Hades felt some anxiety, she felt only hope and joy.

Demeter exclaimed in shock, pulling back her hand and clutching it to her chest. She was gasping at the combined sensation. Eros giggled, looking a little buzzed but also like he just had a religious experience.

“Aren’t they amazing? Isn’t their love just beautiful? It’s rare to feel one like it, much less so quickly in the relationship. Even my arrows couldn’t come close,” he said reverently.

Demeter shuddered, taking a few moments to gather her thoughts. Hades and Persephone turned to watch her cautiously.

“You really do love each other, don’t you?” she looked both touched and heartbroken; she was met with affirmation. “I…I’m still not totally happy about it, but you have my blessing.”

“Really?” Persephone asked. “Really, mama?”

Demeter sighed, fondness coming over her face as she nodded and held her arms out. Persephone rushed into them once more.

“HAIR! MAKEUP!” Eros squealed; Persephone pulled back with less exuberance than before.

“Really,” Demeter gently kissed her forehead. “Feeling that…I couldn’t deny you such happiness, little bean.” Her eyes shone warmly, a tear almost escaping. “Now that doesn’t mean you can neglect your duties in the mortal realm! We will have to find a system to make sure you still bring spring into bloom.”

Persephone chuckled, “Of course, mama.”

“And you have to visit—no staying away for months at a time!”

“I never want a permanent separation from you, mama. I love you so much, and I love Hades too. I promise I have room for both of you in my heart,” she reassured her mother.

While they shared their moment, Hades, more content than he ever thought he’d be, turned and opened the case. Gently, he pulled out the box with Persephone’s engagement ring.

“If I may interrupt,” he said. He could tell Demeter wanted to quip back with a, _“You may_ not _!”_ but she refrained. “Kore, I’m sorry I didn’t have this prepared before, but if you’ll allow me to ask once more?”

Persephone grinned and nodded her head. Once again, a king kneeled before her. “Persephone, will you marry me?” He opened the box revealing the most perfect ring she had ever seen. It was rose gold, delicate and intricate. There was a prominent diamond in the center, the one he had produced when he first asked her. Around it, the metal twisted, small diamonds encrusted in it, creating a halo which resembled rose petals. Around the band itself, the metal still appeared to twist, small jewels lining it as well. It appeared floral while at the same time was unique.

“Yes,” she nodded. She couldn’t help the excited bounce she did as he slid it onto the third finger of her left hand—a perfect fit, of course.

“Thank you,” he told her, voice intense. He stood, kissing her swiftly, not wanted to invoke anymore of Demeter’s ire.

“Well, are you going to let us see?” Hera asked. Persephone turned around, showing it off the others in the room as they gave the appropriate ooos and aahhs. Hades hoped that the rest of the jewelry went over as well. He waved Hera over once she had looked over the ring and given it her seal of approval.

“What do you think?” he asked her, displaying the tiara and necklace he had made.

She gasped a little herself, “Aidoneus, you’ve really outdone yourself this time.”

He smiled softly. “I had a great muse. I hope she likes them. Will they go with her dress?”

“Absolutely,” she nodded. “Now, as soon as Hecate gets back, we can get this show on the road. Fates know it took a long enough time getting here. Was it worth the wait?”

Hades glanced over to his little goddess, bursting with excitement by her best friend and mother, and said, “Without a doubt.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! If you did, please drop some kudos and leave a comment below. It's a huge motivation for continued stories in the future!!
> 
> Reference Images:
> 
> Persephone's Hair Style: https://pin.it/3AeMr3D  
> Engagement Ring: https://pin.it/7zOfNKK


	2. Vows and Testimonies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, did I say only two chapters? While the original intent, this story has grown. It shouldn't be longer than 3-5, but I am no longer committing to an exact number.
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who commented and left kudos last time! It was amazing to hear your thoughts and gave me an extra jolt of motivation to write throughout the day.
> 
> Links to the clothing/jewelry described are in the endnotes along with a link to the Spotify playlist I listened to on repeat to get the feel for this chapter right. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this! Let me know what you think :)

Hecate entered the room swiftly, two garment bags held high above her head and a bag in her other hand.

“Did everything go smoothly?” Hera asked.

Hecate nodded looking excited. “Very. Alyosha was very helpful, and the pieces are gorgeous.”

“I expect no less,” Hera stated. “Now, Hades you have a suit in there as well. Persephone’s dress is a statement, and your outfit must be as well. If you would, go get dressed and meet back here. Demeter, Hecate, if you both would go clean yourselves up just a bit, you’ll want to be at your best. Give us thirty minutes, and everything should be ready to go.”

No one wanted to disobey the queen, so Hecate and Demeter disappeared to their respective residencies while Hades took his garment bag and shoes to the adjoining bathroom.

“Make sure to not come out until we tell you!” Eros told him. “Okay, Pers, go ahead and step out of your dress; make sure to slide it down so it doesn’t catch on your hair.”

As she shimmied the dirty dress down over her hips, Hera handed her a new set of underwear. “Your bra won’t do with this dress.”

Hera and Hecate averted their gazes, pulling the shoes and dress out of their respective bags.

“Oh wow,” Persephone breathed. “Those are gorgeous.”

“I’m glad you like them,” Hera smiled at her. “Step into your shoes first.”

Eros had Persephone lean on his shoulder for support as he helped strap her into the new footwear. They were black satin peep toe heels, around five inches tall, which were secured to her feet via a thin black strap around her ankle. On the back, there was jewel beading resembling vines and flowers. They gave the shoes an elegant sparkle, something a little extra to make a statement. They made Persephone feel like a grown woman, not a dumb village girl. She held her head taller with that growth of confidence.

Hera unzipped the garment bag containing the wedding gown. Persephone couldn’t tell many details about it before Eros and Hera were assisting her into it. It hugged her body close, flaring out at her mid-thigh. She was eager to be in front of a mirror to see what it looked like on her.

“Wow…” Eros let out a small puff of air. “Now for the bling!” He walked back over to the case, pulling out the necklace Hades had made. Persephone’s eyes widened almost comically. “Man, your hubby pulls out all the stops!”

Persephone chuckled. “To be fair, my ‘hubby’ can literally create priceless jewels on a whim.”

“Don’t make me jealous!” Eros warned as he walked behind per and fastened the jewelry, careful not to mess up her hair. The weight of the chocker on her neck was something Persephone was going to have to get used to.

“And the final touch,” Hera said softly, carrying over a gorgeous tiara of white and black diamonds, swirling in ivy-like designs, complete with a black diamond flower at its base. Persephone was in awe. Humbly, she bowed her head slightly as the queen crowned her. Remembering the party where she had met Hera and the golden goddess had given her a crown to wear that night brought Persephone the sense of coming full circle; of course Hera would be the one to welcome her to this new status.

As Persephone raised her head, meeting Hera’s eyes, she felt the weight of everything she wore. She didn’t expect to feel different, but somehow, for whatever reason, there seemed to be a shift.

“You’re dazzling,” Eros said.

“She’s a queen,” Hera smiled, her voice soft but intense. “Eros, please message Hecate and ask her to bring a mirror—a big one.”

Meanwhile, Hades was getting himself ready. He took the time to shave and restyle his hair, making sure nothing was out of place. He had waited too long for this day to have any small flaw mar his memory.

He pulled out the suit Hera had picked and was slightly shocked. It wasn’t anything like his normal style. Still, he dressed with care and only looked in the mirror when he was finished. The only things he deigned to change were the socks and pocket square, both of which he wore in rich shades of pink.

Hades nearly didn’t recognize the god he saw before him. He stood in a white suit, black lining the pockets and lapels. The vest and dress shirt underneath were both solid black. He wore a white bowtie as well. It was a reverse image of what he often wore. White suits were traditionally Zeus’ thing, not his, and he had had no desire to change that. However, the image in front of him made him rethink that. The cut of the suit combined with the primary and accenting colors made his shoulders look broader and somehow made him look even taller. The blue of his skin seemed richer than before. He looked fit and _young_ but still mature. He produced his crown on top of his head.

Hades looked and felt like a king, but he was reinvigorated. For the first time in ages, he was excited about that title and what it meant; primarily, that it meant that he got to have a queen beside him. _My queen!_ Excitement flooded him, and he couldn’t stop the grin on his face if he tried.

He walked over to the door and knocked. “May I come out now?”

The door cracked open, revealing Eros in a traditional black suit. He grinned, taking in the king. “Damn, you look fine as hell!”

Hades chuckled, “Thank you. I’m really happy with this look. Now, can I get married?”

“First things first, Persephone asked me to request that you wear your glasses,” he smiled.

“R-really?” Hades asked. Eros nodded, watching as Hades hurriedly found his pair, slipping them on. “Now?”

 _Ohhhhh, I get it!_ Eros thought to himself, eyeing the king. Smiling, he leaned in close and whispered, “Yes, but be prepared. Persephone is…well, she looks every bit the queen goddess she is about to become.”

Hades stepped out into his office and barely recognized it. His furniture had been rearranged, making space for all the deities to stand. There were flowers strung tastefully, mixtures of pomelia blossoms, forget-me-nots, and Persephone’s signature roses.

Eros took his place, standing on Persephone’s side. Mirroring him was Hecate, dressed formally in a rich blue and black pant suit. Demeter stood between Eros and the bride, wearing a long dress of rich purple. Hera stood at point, having changed into a dress of soft pink with a periwinkle blue overlay. Blinding Hades to everyone else, however, was the most beautiful creature to have ever graced the cosmos.

Persephone stood there, her vibrant pink skin rich against the dress she wore. The dress itself was amazing, hugging her curves in the most delectable manner. Her upper torso was covered in a black floral lace which continued down her arms and over translucent sleeves, as well as dipping low towards her thighs, bringing greater attention to the shape of her hips. The bottom half of the dress was the same bright, shiny white of his suit. As it met the floor, the large patterns of black vines and roses crawled up. It seemed to elongate her petite body; Hades shivered in desire.

As his gaze come up to her face, he noted the five-string diamond chocker adorning her neck. Her hair and makeup were still perfect, all the more beautiful due to the radiant smile coming from the bride. On her head sat the tiara he had helped craft her.

She was a queen, resplendent in flowers the color of his realm.

She was The Maiden.

She was the Bringer of Death.

She was sweet and compassionate and fierce.

She was _his_ , just as he was hers.

He couldn’t get to her fast enough. Still, he forced himself to take a moderate pace just so they could savor the moment.

Persephone had been looking over her groom as well. She had always been incredibly attracted to Hades, but she couldn’t deny that seeing him dressed impeccably as he was, seeing the mixture of pure love and lust and excitement in his eyes, had her whole body thrumming in need.

(Eros, caught in the crossfire of the intense attraction, shuffled slightly, trying not to appear too keyed up.)

By the time Hades made it down the way to Persephone, he was in a daze, resisting the urge to clutch at his chest to calm the heart that seemed to be trying to break free.

“Hi,” she whispered.

He chuckled, whispering back, “Hi.”

“You both look amazing,” Hera said warmly. “Unfortunately, we don’t have the time to make this as traditionally ornate, but what matters is that you two are here, loving one another, and committing to spending the rest of your eternal days bonded and united in that love. If you would face each other and join hands.”

The couple did as she instructed. Despite her heels, Persephone still had to lean her head back a fair amount to look at Hades. She loved it.

“Marriage is not easy,” Hera began, “and it is not for the faint-hearted. It is like a river, interspersed with perilous rapids and peaceful, clear waters; it is constantly flowing around unknown bends with a current that varies in strength, but it moves forever on. Even as the water may change its composition, still you remain, together. Every day, every moment, is a choice you make for one another. Selfishness holds no place—you are choosing to be more than individuals. Your choices determine how your journey, your relationship, will unfold. As royalty, your partnership takes on even more significance. You will face more scrutiny and outside pressure than any other couple. You will face issues others never would dream. You must remain dedicated and determined throughout all of this. You will represent yourselves, your kingdom, and the rest of the monarchy with every choice you make. Throughout all of this, however, you must never lose each other to the outside influence. You must choose your love every day. If you do this, you will find fulfilment and happiness.

“Aidoneus Hades, first-born son of Kronos and Rhea, eldest of the Six Traitor Dynasty, god of wealth, god of the dead, king of the Underworld, Tartarus, and all their inhabitants, do you take Persephone to be your wedded wife, your queen and eternal companion, to have and to hold, through all events, good and bad, foreseen and unforeseen, until the end of days? Do you vow to love her, be faithful to her, comfort, support, and honor her, forsaking all others?”

Hades eyes shone, but his voice was strong. “I do.”

“Kore Persephone, only daughter of Demeter, goddess of spring, do you take Hades to be your wedded husband, your king and eternal companion, to have and to hold, through all events, good and bad, foreseen and unforeseen, until the end of days? Do you vow to love him, be faithful to him, comfort, support, and honor him, forsaking all others?”

She squeezed his hands tightly, “I do.”

“The rings?” Hera cued. Hecate held out her hand, allowing Hades to pick up the band. “These rings are physical symbols of the love you share. As you exchange them, you will make your divine vow to one another. Hades, what divine vow do you make to your bride?”

“Persephone, my divine vow to you is that we will always be equal. While you are here, you shall rule all that lives and moves and shall have the greatest rights among the deathless gods: those who defraud you and do not appease your power with offerings, reverently performing rites and paying fit gifts, shall be punished for evermore.” He slid the delicate band onto her left hand, nestled up against her engagement ring. Gently, he leaned over and kissed her hand where they rested.

There was a ripple of shock among the others. A king vowing equality to his queen had never been done among the immortals. Hera managed to recover quickly.

“Persephone, what divine vow do you make to your groom?”

Persephone took the large ring out of Eros’ hand. “Hades, my divine vow to you is that I will never stop nourishing our relationship, supporting the growth and stability of all that makes us up now and in the future—our love, our family, our kingdom. I will work tirelessly to ensure the fruitfulness of all our endeavors. You will know love the rest of your days.” She slid his wedding band onto his finger, taking a moment to marvel at the contrast of the rose gold against his blue skin.

“Through the power invested in me as the goddess of marriage and queen of the gods, I bless this marriage, and now pronounce you man and wife. Let that which has been brought together today never be severed by powers mortal or divine. You may now kiss your bride.”

Hades delicately cradled Persephone’s cheeks in his hands as he leaned in, kissing her tenderly. Her hand came up to hold his jaw gently, leaning into him. It lasted only a few moments, but its significance was unparalleled by any other kiss they would share.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is my incredible pleasure to present to you the king and queen of the Underworld. Long may they reign.”

The small party applauded, Eros’ cheering. Hera was beaming, wiping away tears from her eyes; she couldn’t remember the last time she had cried at a wedding. Even Demeter looked touched.

Persephone and Hades were smiling, laughing in happiness. Both had tears of joy in their eyes. As they turned and looked around, Hecate came over, standing in front of Persephone. She knelt on one knee, head bowed.

“My queen, I pledge myself to you as I did to my king two thousand years ago. When you need me, I will be there in service. My loyalty is yours.”

The new royal was shocked to say the least. “Hecate, my dear friend, thank you. I will work to be worthy of such a gift.”

Hecate rose again and grinned before leaning in to press a kiss to Persephone’s cheek followed by Hades’. This led to signs of affection being given to the couple. Hera called them over to the desk to have them sign the marriage license. Then, she got the witness line signed by one of the guests before finishing it off with a flourish of her own signature.

Hera sighed. “Well, I suppose it’s now or never. You remember our plan?”

“Wait,” Hades interrupted. “Give me just a moment please.”

“What’s wrong?” Persephone asked him.

“Poseidon deserves some kind of warning that something is going to happen. Zeus has already begun isolating him,” he explained.

Hera looked dubious. “And you’re sure this is the best choice?”

Hades nodded.

“I’ll give you five minutes, but that’s all I can afford. I have to get home and get Hebe up and ready for the day. It also gives me a period of grace to act as a cover till the trial itself. As soon as Zeus discovers that Persephone is back and in custody, he is going to demand an immediate meeting of the council. The trial will be today. He won’t want to waste any time.” Hera took a deep breath, but there was still anger in her eyes. Persephone remembered Ares’ comment that his mom was always angry, and it made her sad to see the evidence firsthand.

“Hera, thank you,” Persephone gushed out. “You put yourself out on a limb for us. I see that, and I’m so grateful.”

Hera smiled softly. “Marriage is all about choices. Sometimes you have to choose to prevent your spouse from making a horrible decision at the risk of a rift. I pray that you are never put into such a position. I wouldn’t change my mind though, no matter the fallout. We did the right thing this day, of that I am sure.”

She transferred away, taking the license with her to be filed.

“I’d better go home for now, little bean,” Demeter told her. “I will be at the trial. You will not face this without me.” She gave her daughter a gentle hug, mindful of her appearance. The older goddess looked up at Hades who was holding a phone to his ear. She met his eye and did her best to convey how much she was trusting him with. He seemed to get the message, nodding solemnly. Then she left.

“I’ll see you in a little while, your majesty,” Eros told her. “Be strong.” She nodded.

After he left, Hecate looked around the office.

“We need to get this cleaned up.”

“Oh! I can do that!” Persephone assured her. Her eyes glowed white briefly as she focused her power. Suddenly, all the plants which had filled the room previously disappeared. Hecate made quick work of moving the other furniture back in order, refusing Persephone’s offer of help. After she finished, she excused herself, saying she would be back momentarily.

Hades finally got off the phone, walking back over to where his wife sat in his chair.

“How are you, my queen?” he leaned against the desk in front of her.

“Ecstatic that I’m married to you. Nervous that we’re about to do a big “screw you” to the king of the gods who wants me to be tortured forever.” She took his hand, brushing her fingers lightly over the metal which adorned his finger.

“Would it help if I told you there is no way he will ever torture you? And that you are heart-stoppingly beautiful?” he smiled.

“I suppose…though there is something else that could help me feel better,” she glanced up at him through her eyelashes.

“And just what would that be, little goddess?”

“Close your eyes,” she commanded. He complied immediately. After a moment, he felt a soft brush against his lips, then more pressure. In a moment, he had his arms wrapped around her waist and was kissing her with all the passion he had to hold back during the ceremony itself. “Do you understand,” Persephone said through gasping breaths, “how sexy you look right now?”

He preened under her praise. “If your reaction is anything to go by, I’d say quite a bit.”

Persephone scoffed. “If we weren’t about to be summoned, then I’d have you take me on this desk here and now.”

 _Where did that confidence come from?!_ she asked herself. As she heard Hades’ shocked groan followed by his increased frenzy, she knew it was something she would have to tap into later.

_BZZT…BZZT…BZZT_

Hades cell phone vibrated hard against the desk.

“Fuck!” he cursed, yanking it up. He noted Zeus’ name on the ID. “What?”

 _“You’d best watch your tone. I understand you had a bug up your ass last night, but you would be smart to remember that I am_ your _king. Hera mentioned Persephone called here early this morning, said she called from your office. If you haven’t gotten there already, I would. Bring her with you to the judgement hall. We are calling court into session_ today _. Do you understand me?”_

Hades’ teeth were grinding together so hard his jaw was aching. He had to force himself to reign in his temper, as difficult as it felt.

“Yes,” he managed to bite out.

 _“Good. Noon. Be there, and bring the little traitor.”_ The line went dead as Zeus hung up.

"Hades, Persephone, before you go in there, you need to know—Zeus has decided to allow press to enter," Hecate explained. "I just received word of it. They'll be broadcasting live. "

"What the fuck is he thinking?" Hades growled out, seeing the fear on Persephone's face.

"He said he wanted to make an example, Hades. How better than to make sure everyone sees me?" Persephone shrugged. She seemed to have accepted it quickly, though there was a lingering nervous air about her.

"You're not going to have to worry about any flash photography on the way in the building since you'll be wearing sunglasses. They'll obscure the lights," Hecate tried to comfort her. They had decided, in order to make her entrance cause the most impact, she would enter the building with her dress train and hem pinned up so that everything but her shoes would be covered by the long trench coat she wore, complete with a large hood to cover her hair, and crown, as much as possible. Finally, sunglasses to obscure the last of her that would show. She would lose the extra garments as she waited to be called into the chamber. "How this is going to work is Hades and I will go in and find our seats. Your husband will be on good behavior to not attract more attention than his new style change will to begin with. The audience will come in and find their seats. You will remain in the rooms off the entrance with Nemesis until called; trust her—she's the best lawyer out there, full stop. Unfortunately, since this is a high treason charge, you have to speak for yourself, but she is going to train you in what to say and how to say it.

"They have a television in the room that receives a broadcast of the chamber itself, so, while you'll have to wait to counter any arguments, you will at least be informed. Zeus and any witnesses will speak, determining one side of the accusation. After that, you will be summoned, and you'll have the chance to defend yourself and set the record straight. Finally, judgement will be passed. The kings will discuss it and vote, but Zeus has final say. Normally, he respects the majority in a 2-1 split, but he doesn't technically have to. Do you have any questions?"

Persephone was quiet for a moment. "Do we know who his witnesses are?"

Hades answered, "No, but likely the informers as well as anyone suspected in the cover up. Sometimes the witnesses don't even know they'll be called upon until we say their names."

"That's cruel," Persephone accused.

"It's an attempt to ensure they don't get together to corroborate, and so the accused won't necessarily know who to prevent from coming or get rid of, " he stated.

"It still seems horribly mean," she sighed. Hades shrugged his shoulders; there was nothing he could do even if he wanted to change it.

Their car was pulling up to the large building. Hades readjusted his bowtie and made sure his crown sat perfectly on his head. He looked over to his new wife behind him.

"Remember, my love, even though I can't stand beside you in the room, you have my utmost support. You can look to me whenever you need strength, " he kissed her briefly. "I love you."

She gave him a small smile. "I love you too, husband of mine. Here comes the first bend in the river." She pushed her black sunglasses up her face, double-checking everything was in place. The car stopped, and the driver came around to open the door. Hades stepped out first. The sounds of yelled questions and snapped photography began. He reached an open palm to the car door, Persephone took his hand, and he helped for out of the vehicle. Hecate followed after.

As they walked to the doors, Hades did what he could to block the press from getting too much access to the pink goddess; getting into the doors of the building was a relief. Hecate led Persephone to the room where Nemesis was waiting while Hades walked straight to the judgement chamber. He passed many different deities and other citizens on the way there. Most of them retreated in fear or apprehension from the look on his face. He caught a passing glimpse of people hair and green skin, and he was pleased.

The satyrs who manned the ornate entrance doors noticed him and quickly reached for handles. Hades didn't slow his pace, and the opening was just wide enough for him to stride through when he passed them.

The Olympian judgement hall was huge, designed as it were to allow a large number of observers. At the front of the room, there was a raised platform. In the middle was Zeus' large marble throne, Hera's slightly smaller, matching to Zeus' left side. To Zeus' right sat Amphitrite' throne followed by Poseidon's. Finally, on the other side of Hera's at Hades' lone throne made of obsidian and black marble. The room curved on the sides with raised bench seating for others who would come to watch. Olympians had the privilege of sitting closer to the monarchs, while the lesser gods and goddesses, as well as the non-divine, were delegated to the seating closest to the doors. In the center of the room, in front of the thrones, sat a large pine table with a few seats. The point was to make the accused feel pressure by being isolated and surrounded, and Hades had seen it work quite effectively in the past. His anger flared at the thought of his wife sitting there alone. The press was currently setting up off to the right where they could easily get shots of Persephone's face along with those of the royalty. Already milling about near the thrones were his brothers and their wives. Poseidon and Amphitrite were in similar colors of deep navy blue. He noted Hera had changed into a purple dress which coordinated with her husband's skin tone. Zeus, for once, was in a darker suit with a white shirt, something more similar to Hades' normal fashion; it was probably an attempt to make the god of thunder seem more imposing. Hades had the passing (perhaps petty, if he were honest) thought that Zeus didn't look as good in the ensemble as he himself usually did.

When the couples looked up, they stopped speaking for a moment. Hera hid her smirk behind a draw of her cigarette. "What the hell are you wearing?" Zeus glared at him.

"A formal suit, as is protocol," Hades kept his voice an even, neutral tone till he stopped in front of the others.

"I've never seen you wear it before, " Zeus glowered. _I’ve never looked better, and he can’t stand it_ , Hades thought.

He just shrugged. "It's new."

"And absolutely dashing," Amphitrite purred, eyeing him appreciatively. "You simply must wear things like this more often."

"Thank you," he replied warmly. He met Poseidon's eyes, seeing curiosity in his gaze along with some amusement. Seeing him person, Hades knew he made the right decision in calling first.

_“I don’t want you to be caught off guard, but I’m not going to let Persephone be punished just because Zeus’ ego is bruised.”_

_“I see…I’m not surprised. What exactly do you have planned?”_

_“Something dramatic. I need to send to a message. I’ll give you the details if you really want, but I think you may be better off with plausible deniability if things fall apart.”_

_“Now I’m really curious! But I’ll trust you…For what it’s worth, I support you. This has nothing to do with Persephone and everything to do with Zeus’ paranoia.”_

_“That actually makes me feel a lot better, knowing you have my back.”_

_“In all seriousness, thanks for respecting me enough to reach out. It’s refreshing.”_

_“Of course.”_

_“I’ll remember this, Aidoneus. Good luck, big brother.”_

_“Thank you. I’ll see you soon.”_

Seeing a camera man adjust a lens to zoom in on the group of them, Hades was tempted to blast Zeus about the press but remembered Hecate's warning to be hospitable.

"Interesting choice of color there," Zeus motioned to Hades' pink pocket square.

Hades smiled. "It’s my favorite color. Now, when do we plan on letting everyone in?"

After a beat, Zeus ascended the steps to his throne, taking his seat, followed by the others. They each summoned their symbols of power (Zeus his lightning bolt, Poseidon his trident, and Hades his bident); Hera had her scepter and Amphitrite a conch shell. Zeus motioned for the doors to be opened.

Quite a few filed in, packing the seats. Hades saw people making their way to the benches reserved specifically for the witnesses who would be called upon that day.

 _So, Zeus did send out an announcement. Of course he wouldn’t tell me_ , Hades though, even more irritated. He focused on who filed onto the bench. His surprise at the people grew along with his ire.

Hermes, he anticipated. Thetis and Thanatos were surprising. But it was when Minthe and Apollo joined that he reached a level of shock and fury that he could barely contain.

_What the fuck?_

As Minthe followed Thetis into the court room, she felt slightly nervous. Still, she had a sense of anticipation and satisfaction knowing that she would get to see what Thetis had seen the night before—Hades’ anger turned towards the little pink bitch, finally. Then, he would return back to her, and things would go back to how they should be.

“Oh damn,” Thetis said. Minthe followed her gaze, finding herself shocked as well. There was Hades. His uncharacteristic ensemble made his silhouette pop dramatically against the black throne. He wore his glasses, the same glasses that Minthe had said showed his age, but they made him look striking. With his bident in a gloved hand, he radiated power. Unexpectedly, she found herself more turned on than she had ever been for him.

Whereas before she most desired just maintaining their status quo, she was now desiring the inevitable make-up sex they would be having that night. _I’ll ride him so hard he’ll forget that little slut’s name!_

“Keep your eyes on your own king,” Minthe hissed. Thetis just smirked at her, a mocking look in her eye.

The river nymph adjusted her dress, making sure that the scanty black item showed off her body well before taking a seat on the witness bench. She would make sure she put on quite a show for Hades. She noticed that Apollo filed in to sit beside her, but then she turned her attention to look back at her on-and-off-again lover.

This meant that she saw as he glanced over the witness stand, his features slightly pinched, before seeing her. He looked surprised, then looked to her left at Apollo. His gaze snapped back to hers. She did her best to look seductive, displaying her chest as prominently as she could and batting her eyelashes.

Not only did he not look tempted, he looked enraged, his eyes blood red as he glared down at her. Then he looked away, facing the doors once more.

“Uh, what the fuck was that?” she whispered down to Thetis. “I thought you said he was pissed at _Persephone_ , not me!”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure he’s just playing hard to get, and once he deals with Ms. Perfect, everything will be fine. Stop being neurotic—it’s unattractive,” she rolled her eyes. Minthe pouted but turned back towards the rest of the room. Everyone had seemed to get settled. She smiled, eager for what was about to come.

Persephone sat back in the conference room with Nemesis, someone she had only just met and simultaneously liked and feared. The goddess had taken time to explain to her what the procedures would be, noting the general information that Zeus had used in order to accuse Persephone in the first place. It made her sad that Helios would feel so negatively towards a goddess he didn’t really know that he would be willing to destroy the life she had only just begun to make for herself.

She turned to the large screen on the wall which displayed the live feed from the judgement hall. Two things pulled her immediate attention: the first was her devastatingly gorgeous husband who looked more powerful than anyone else in the room, even seated to Zeus’ left as he was; second was the witness stand. She felt sick as she saw the purple god she despised so much sitting there, an innocent look plastered to his face.

“What does Apollo have to do with this?” she growled out, trying to control her power enough that her hair wouldn’t grow out of its intricate design.

“Anyone who heard the story from Helios has been called in to speak, that way the stories can all be corroborated,” Nemesis explained. “From what I was told and can sense, he may have been the one to tell the others to use Helios as a source of information in the first place. What’s more interesting, however, is what is between the two of you.”

“There is _nothing_ between us,” Persephone glared at her.

“Oh, there is—a whole fuck ton of bitterness and desire for revenge, on both your parts,” she glanced at her, seemingly unphased by the outburst. “It’s radiating so much I can practically taste it.”

“Oh,” Persephone murmured. It wasn’t that very different from when Ares had mentioned her extreme anger he sensed. “I guess I don’t control that very well.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Nemesis shrugged her off. “I haven’t met a god or goddess out there that doesn’t desire the downfall of another being. It’s part of the whole divine wrath thing.”

The goddesses quieted down, listening to Zeus’ opening remarks, explaining what he had been informed about. There were shocked gasps among some of the people in the stands. Persephone did her best to turn her feelings off and listen to the accusations as though she were analyzing a difficult math problem; if she made it impersonal, she would have a much better chance at catching onto nuances and creating a successful counterattack.

She was shocked as he began calling up witnesses. First, Thetis, who just recited back exactly what Zeus had said happened, all the while looking innocent and open.

Minthe was called to speak next. She stood before the three kings, hands held in front of her, and she began to recount the same tale as Thetis, just with a greater emphasis on how, according to Helios, Persephone had reveled in the murder of so many lives—without permission! Zeus looked smug, but just before he went to send her off, he was interrupted.

"And just what did you hope to get out of this?" It was the first time someone other than Zeus had spoken, and it brought all eyes to the other king.

"W-what?" Minthe asked.

"I said," Poseidon emphasized each word carefully, with more derision than anyone anticipated, "what did you hope to get out of this? Reporting to Zeus, spinning a story of a story you heard second-hand? Because you weren't there when it happened, you didn't speak to Helios personally, but you're still making yourself involved."

Minthe floundered. As she had her mouth open trying to find an answer, Hades looked over to his brother and felt incredibly grateful. He was displaying his loyalty, and it was in Hades' favor. "Well," Minthe finally spoke, "I wanted to make sure that the truth came out."

"Why?" Poseidon pressed.

"Because Zeus had the right to know,” Minthe insisted, clinging to the explanation she thought would help her the best in the long run. She saw Zeus smile, giving a nod of approval. She started to relax for a moment, a mistake.

“ _Do not lie to me!_ ” Poseidon ordered, eyes glowing subtly. “There is not only one king to fear here. I will have the truth, _now_!”

The normally easy-going god of the sea seemed as terrifying as the open ocean in a storm. The air smelled faintly of salt, and his hair waved in a sudden breeze. Minthe was shaking.

“He…he needed to know the truth about her,” she chocked out. “Hades needed to know the truth about her.”

“Why?” Poseidon pushed her to continue.

“Because she had him totally wrapped around her finger! He dropped _everything_ for her, and it was ridiculous! He had to know the truth, so that way he could hate her, and we could just go back to normal.” She seemed surprised at herself having revealed so much. She managed to glance at Poseidon’s narrowed-eyed expression before turning to Hades. Minthe didn’t know what to expect to see, but it certainly wasn’t his hateful sneer.

“So, you decided to try to ruin the immortal life of a goddess because you were dumped and wanted to be a kept woman again. I wonder how well that worked,” Poseidon mused. “Hades?”

Hades remained silent for a moment before sighing. “Minthe, this over-dramatic, attention-seeking bull shit that disregards anyone else’s feelings but your own is one of the exact reasons why I ended things. I thought I made it clear—we are done. If that wasn’t absolute before, rest assured, there is absolutely no chance of reconciliation now. I hope you’re proud of how much you just embarrassed the both of us with this stunt.” Hades rubbed his eyes under his glasses. “In recognition of Minthe’s only evidence being second-hand gossip and her motivation being to besmirch Persephone’s reputation, I move for her testimony to be scratched from consideration as it cannot be proven to be of any value.”

“Agreed,” Poseidon nodded. Zeus frowned but nodded as well. Ashamed, Minthe walked back over to the witness bench, hair hanging in front of her face as she willed away tears.

“Thanatos,” Zeus waved him forward, “hopefully you have something constructive to add. You spoke to Helios directly, correct?”

“Yes,” the gray god nodded. “Apollo took me to see him.”

“Why did you go to talk to Helios?”

“Because,” he fidgeted, “I wanted to figure out why Persephone’s name changed so dramatically. I had looked it up, and there had been a surge in intake of souls right before she came to Olympus, but there wasn’t any documentation.”

“Oh?” Zeus’ eyes lit up. He leaned forward. “Did you bring this to Hades’ attention?”

“Uhh, n-no…” Thanatos shifted from foot to foot. “He isn’t really fond of me.”

“Hmm. Does anyone else have the ability to deliver shades to the Underworld the way you do?”

Thanatos gulped, “Hermes, your majesty.”

“And did _Hermes_ give you any answers?” Zeus glared at the messenger god who was watching the events with a blank face.

Thanatos met Zeus’ eyes for the first time. “No, your majesty, but I didn’t ask him what happened either. Just noted that it had happened, so I wouldn’t know if Hermes had anything to do with it.”

Thetis whipped her head to look at Thanatos, glaring. He wasn’t sticking with the story.

“But would there be anyone else who had access to get rid of documentation?”

“People that King Hades designates,” Thanatos said, back straight.

“Who would be….?” Zeus moved his hand in a “just get on with it” gesture.

“I don’t know who all has been designated. King Hades doesn’t have to tell me that, and I respect my king enough to not push him on it. He may not like my work ethic, and I don’t like how much I’m paid, but he isn’t a bad king. I trust his judgement and don’t push him for information he doesn’t willingly share.” Zeus glared while Hades looked mildly surprised.

“Well,” Zeus hissed, “if you have nothing else to add, then—”

“Actually, your majesty, I do,” Thanatos squeaked out. “I…I came to you because you deserved to know, because no one should run around unchecked, but also because I was acting selfishly. I don’t like Persephone, and someone I care about doesn’t either. So, I thought that would make us happy. But Persephone committing an act of wrath isn’t so different from what other gods and goddesses do all the time—I’m the one who cleans up afterwards, you know. And, I know my opinion doesn’t matter here, but I don’t think Persephone deserves a severe punishment.” Thanatos’ heart raged in his chest.

“You’re right,” Zeus smiled. “Your opinion _doesn’t_ matter here. Now go sit down.”

Thanatos rushed back over to the bench. He saw Minthe glaring at him behind her hair, could practically feel the iciness radiating from Thetis, and he knew certain bridges had just been burned. He risked a glace to Hades, however, and for once saw true respect. The king nodded to him very lightly, so much it would be easy to miss. _Maybe everything isn’t over…?_

“Up next,” Zeus shuffled in his throne, agitated, “Apollo.”

Apollo strode confidently over, presenting himself with a deep bow. Zeus seemed to relax.

“Apollo, do you have anything to add to Thetis’ and Thanatos’ claims about Helios?” he asked.

“No, your majesty, what they have shared is accurate,” Apollo testified.

Zeus paused for a moment, risking a glace to his left; Hades was glaring daggers at Apollo. Hades, his older brother, the outsider who had to be dragged to family events at Zeus’ command. Hades, so unappreciative of everything Zeus had done for him. Hades, always so bitter, who had the audacity to say he just _dealt_ with Zeus’ “nonsense.” Zeus’ wrath raged, and he had an idea pop into his head: he could reward one loyal ally while putting two traitors into their places.

A sickly-sweet smile came to his face as his eyes sparkled in delight.

“Apollo, you have always proven to be a hard-working, loyal Olympian,” Zeus began. “And I would like to reward that.”

Apollo looked surprised but pleased. “It is a reward to serve you, my king.”

The flattery had Zeus preening. “Nonetheless, I insist! I am going to grant you your request!”

Apollo was confused. “My request, sire?”

“For marriage! Perhaps Thanatos is right, and Persephone doesn’t deserve quite so severe a punishment. She’s young, after all! Since Demeter has proven an incompetent, treacherous guardian, then maybe the goddess of spring just needs someone to look out for her, keep her in hand, right?” Zeus’ smiled bordered on demented. Apollo felt a sense of joyous satisfaction fill him, especially as he looked at Hades.

Hades was shocked. He was open-mouthed, staring at his brother. He knew Zeus’ judgement wasn’t always reliable, but _this_?

“Absolutely not,” Hera declared. Normally, the queens didn’t speak at these trials unless called upon, so Zeus was taken off-guard.

“Pardon me?” he growled. Hera didn’t roll her eyes, but she didn’t look intimidated either.

“I already denied Apollo’s request to marry Persephone. It isn’t a good match.”

“I say it is! This will happen, Hera. You will oversee the ceremony,” Zeus commanded. Hera paused a moment, calculating.

“Apollo,” she turned her attention to the god trying not to smirk up at her.

“Queen Hera.”

“Tell me, why do you want to marry Persephone?” she asked, blue eyes unforgiving.

“I think she and I are a great couple. There’s always been a spark between us. If chemistry isn’t enough, I’m an accomplished Olympian, and she comes from a great legacy. It makes sense.” He smiled, too closely to a sneer to be totally innocent. “Besides, she’s pretty.”

That was too much.

“ _Pretty!_ You think she’s _pretty!_ ” Hades snapped, voice thundering through the hall. “She’s of good _breeding_ , so you want to strap her to you? You’re nothing but a selfish shit, Phoebus Apollo.”

“That’s enough!” Zeus snapped to look at his brother. “I said what will happen, and I didn’t ask for your permission.”

Hades met his eyes, livid. To Zeus’ bewilderment, a smile split his face. In a smooth, soft tone, he said, “No, no you didn’t. But do know, nothing I have done was without yours.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” Zeus growled. The scent of ozone filled the air, little jolts of lightning appearing around his temples. The audience was shuffling, many torn between staying to see the show and running for safety.

“Call in Persephone,” Hades turned towards the doors, refusing to say anything more. Zeus, angered, gave a signal. There was tense silence in the minute that past. Hades’ excitement grew. As he heard heels clack on marble in the distance, he smirked down at the god of the sun.

“Move to the side,” he commanded. Apollo took a few steps to the side, intimidated against his wishes. “Congratulations. You get a great privilege today. You said you wanted to marry her because she was _pretty_! The audacity to minimalize her like that. But oh, if you thought she was pretty before—you should see her in a crown.”

Persephone stood in the center of the two grand doors which had opened to grant her entry. Gasps could be heard as everyone took in her appearance, the wedding dress she wore, the glamorous jewelry adorning her neck, but especially the crown that sat atop her head.

Taking in his wife, Hades stood, vanishing his gloves. Necessary to hide his new jewelry before, they were no longer needed. He stood, a proud smile splitting his face.

Persephone’s heart had been hammering the whole trial, especially listening to Apollo’s testimony and request. However, seeing her husband standing among seated royalty, his skin faintly glowing with his power, a scoundrel’s look on his face and love in his eyes, she found her body calm.

She was the center of attention. She was hurt. She was angry. But she was a _queen_ , damn it, and she would not be cowed. It was time they knew it, too.

She titled her chin slightly higher, making her way down the aisle to stand before her judges.

She gave a slight curtsy to both Poseidon and Zeus, but then she turned her attention to her husband. For him, she gave a sultry smile.

Hades, bident in his left hand, went down the steps to stand in front of her. In a smooth movement, he dropped to his right knee; he took her left hand, kissing the rings that sparkled in the lights. He looked up into her eyes.

“ _My queen_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wedding Dress: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/398287160791918092/  
> Tiara: https://pin.it/fiA0V5K  
> Necklace: https://pin.it/7reRQ0Q  
> Shoes: https://pin.it/aJQKjLt https://pin.it/G0coCRU  
> Hades' Tux: https://pin.it/29jV0sl  
> Wedding Rings: https://pin.it/6A12GEH
> 
> Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1WoMgzIyFmr3hbd1aZi6ge


	3. Lightning and Shadows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is much shorter than the other two, but I figured the confrontation deserved to stand alone.  
> To all those who comment, especially so quickly, it means the world to me. Thank you!

“ _My queen_.”

Persephone felt Hades’ warm breath on her knuckles as he spoke. His voice had been a deep, sensuous purr. His eyes were like rubies, enrapturing her. Her desire for him had her shiver. Since the beginning, they had acted like magnets, constantly gravitating towards one another whenever they were together, fighting against an unstoppable force; Persephone decided not to fight.

She leaned forward, maintaining eye contact with him until just before their lips touched. It was like a tense cord had been cut, all tension lost, and she let herself fall. It didn’t last long, but she forgot her own name in that kiss; it left her almost trembling in desire.

Hades still kneeled before her, slightly out of breath, a little fringe of white hair failing onto his forehead. His lips shined from their kiss, and his eyes…oh, she prayed only she had ever seen them so enraptured.

“My king.”

The hall erupted into chaos.

People were talking to each other, snapping pictures on their phones (despite the rule that clearly prohibited the use of technology); the press hurried to get zoomed-in shots of the rings and begin prepping a release before coverage made its way throughout social media.

In the middle of it all, before things got too insane, Hades stood from the ground fluidly. At full height, but still maintaining eye contact with his little goddess, he lifted his bident and struck it down on the marble floor. The sound of it rang out, bringing everyone to silence once more, this time with bated breath.

Hades turned back to the thrones, holding Persephone’s hand in his slightly aloft to show off the bands which rested there.

“It is my utter pleasure to present to you my wife, the new Queen of the Underworld,” Hades put a special emphasis on her new title. Poseidon’s face lit up, and Amphitrite looked just as excited.

“ _Oh my gods, that’s so great!_ ” Poseidon yelled, getting ready to get out of his throne before a giant thunderclap sounded.

A few people screamed. Persephone jumped, trying to cover her ears. Hades maintained eye contact with Zeus.

“No.”

“No what?” Hades asked; he had never felt so smug yet so on edge.

“No, you _aren’t_ married. No, she _isn’t your wife_. And she most certainly _is NOT QUEEN_!” Zeus yelled.

Persephone, angry herself now and bolstered by her husband’s nonchalance, didn’t cower. She continued to hold Hades’ hand, but she did glance to Hera. The golden queen sat there smiling like the cat who ate the canary.

“I think you’ll find the marriage quite valid,” Hades shrugged then met Zeus’ with a smirk. “Sorry you didn’t get the invite to the wedding. It was very last minute. Embarrassingly enough, we didn’t even have time to change.”

Lightning struck outside several times as Zeus’ rage grew.

“You had no permission!” he shouted.

Hades shook his head, “I told you, I have done _nothing_ without it; as a matter of fact, it was _your_ idea, remember? I believe you said something along the lines of, ‘ _Why don’t you just take her as your bride? I won’t stop you_.’”

Zeus’ face got even darker. “Did you claim her by the Old Rites?”

“Of course not! I had her permission, and it was a genuine ceremony,” Hades glared.

“Then it is invalid. A gods’ marriage is not considered valid and sanctioned unless presided over or blessed by Hera, and I absolutely _forbid_ her from doing so for yours!”

“Oops.” The deadpan murmur came from behind him. It continued on, “Oh, if only I had known.”

Zeus whipped his head back to see Hera, head tilted to the side, watching him with a self-satisfied expression.

“What did you do?” he demanded through gritted teeth.

“Perhaps you should have read through the paperwork I handed you on our way into court this morning, _dear_ ,” she smiled. Then, she stood, producing for him the binder which gave the full run-down of the case and related documents. “Perhaps turn to the ‘Relevant Data’ tab.”

Zeus flipped through the papers quickly until he found what she had been referencing. The marriage certificate, signed by one Aidoneus Hades and Kore Persephone; witnesses: Eros, Hecate, and Demeter; and officiant, Hera, Queen of the Gods, dated for that morning.

“OUT!” Zeus screamed. “EVERYBODY OUT!”

Between the people’s own fear and the security team, the room was quickly cleared. Only specific outsiders, those who could argue they had a right to be there, remained—Demeter, Hecate, Athena, and Ares.

Zeus turned to Hades. “You’ve gone too far!”

“Hardly.”

Zeus moved to stalk towards Hades when he was cut off. Poseidon had stepped in between his brothers but didn’t look at either of them. Instead, he marched straight to Persephone. He lifted her in a giant hug, squeezing her for a moment.

“Hello, little sister!” He grinned. Persephone found herself giggling. “Welcome to the family!”

“Thank you!” she said genuinely.

“Poseidon, don’t touch that little traitor,” Zeus snapped. Poseidon rolled his eyes.

“Calm down, Zeus. Shit happens—Hades got married. Persephone will make a great queen. You were just endorsing her yourself two days ago! This is something to celebrate!” he insisted.

“Two days ago, I wasn’t aware there was a coup going on right under my nose!” Lightning was still dancing around Zeus’ temples.

“For fuck’s sake, there isn’t any coup, Zeus! People just didn’t want to confide in you because they knew you would behave like this,” Hades gestured at him.

Zeus grit his teeth. “Like what, exactly?”

“You overreact,” Hades said. “You trust the word of a titan who hates you rather than going to speak with Demeter and Persephone themselves. You punish anyone who does things you don’t like, then you cry traitor when people keep secrets. People don’t talk to you because you don’t listen to the truth, only your twisted perception.”

“Well go on then,” Zeus sneered, “speak up! Give me the truth! I’m listening.”

Hades knew it was a trap, but he was angry enough to keep going. “Fine, you’re listening? You’re paranoid, Zeus, and melodramatic. A king who has to constantly flout that he’s a great king, isn’t one. You have this idea in your head that you are a great savior, and your lord it over everyone’s heads— _especially_ mine—but the Titanomachy was 2,000 years ago! You need to grow up!”

For the first time in ages, Hades saw Zeus’ eyes go red. “Is that so? I’m not grown up? People don’t respect me because they think I _behave like a child_?!”

“People are too busy fearing you,” Persephone said quietly.

“What was that, little girl?” Zeus snapped at her. She felt an undercurrent of fear as Poseidon tried to tug her back. “LET HER SPEAK!”

“I _said_ that people are too busy fearing you and your reactions to respect you,” Persephone said, her voice growing stronger with every word. She shrugged off Poseidon’s hand on her arm. “My earliest memory of you was you flying above my mother’s fields, striking everything with lighting, burning all our year’s work down in a hissy fit because mama wouldn’t hide one of your mistresses for you again! Someone told you no, even after she gave you warning she wouldn’t do it again the time before, and you destroyed everything! So no, why would my mother come to you after I lost control of my powers? You had already proven you could not be trusted!”

There was silence, broken only by the crackling of electricity and the little scraping sounds Persephone’s vines made as they grew through her hair.

“No,” Zeus said, voice dripping in acid. “Instead, you went and trusted the man who looks like the spitting image of the titan who crushed the spirit of everyone around him and ate his own children. You speak down to me, but you married Kronos’ spitting image.”

Several people gasped. Hades even jolted. Persephone took one look at him, saw how the words destroyed something inside his eyes, and she snapped.

“ _At least he doesn’t act just like him_.”

_CRACK_

Zeus had let loose one of his bolts just as she was finishing the last word. Persephone didn’t even have time to scream before Hades was there, his bident taking the strike. He barely seemed to shudder as residual shockss went into his hand. He had entered his primal form, his hair dark and floating, while his skin held numerous constellations. In a mere moment after he had deterred the attack, he whipped the butt of the staph towards Zeus’ face, striking him.

Zeus took steps back into the center of the room, beginning to rise and gathering the power of a storm as Hades stalked forward. The air pressure in the room change dramatically, making Persephone’s ears pop. Despite her fear, her wrath was still present, and she ached to go defend her husband. Poseidon held her back, however, and Demeter had run over, putting herself between Persephone and the fight.

Zeus let out three bolts in quick succession. The first one missed. The second hit the bident. The third hit Hades dead on.

“NO!” Persephone screamed, though it was lost in the wind. She struggled harder against the green gods, both of whom who now had to hold her back.

To everyone’s surprise, the bolt barely made Hades’ pause, then he continued in his forward march.

Athena and Ares, both in their battle armor, had gotten over to Hera and Amphitrite.

“You both need to go!” Athena yelled, wind raging. Hera shook her head obstinately while Amphitrite looked at her husband, truly concerned.

“Ma, please!” Ares pleaded. “Go back to Hebe! This storm is insane. She’s going to be scared!” What he didn’t voice was his fear for his mother, what Zeus’ reaction to having been undermined so severely would be.

Hera looked torn. Her eyes turned back to Persephone.

“I’ll keep her safe, Ma, I promise,” Ares vowed. Hera searched his eyes before nodding. She took Amphitrite’s hand and disappeared. The two war deities made their ways back down to where Persephone stood, fighting with the people restraining her.

It was suddenly cold, very cold. Frost developed on the thrones, made the ground slippery. Hot, humid air from Zeus’ storm battled with the icy air than was radiating from Hades and infiltrating all corners of the room. Despite also having the ability to fly, he stayed on the ground, looking at Zeus.

“What? You can’t beat me without your helm, oh great Unseen One?”

All the lights in the room went out. The only illumination came from the lighting crackling around Zeus. With each flash, a darkness seemed to grow like a living thing creeping from the shadows, across the floor, then up towards the purple god. Zeus finally noticed, and tried to fly up, away from it, not realizing it descended from the ceiling as well.

In the breath between flashes, it reached him. What looked like oozing fog suddenly held immeasurable weight, and Zeus crashed onto the floor.

“Ελα σε μένα.” Hades’ bident glowed. Surrounding Zeus on three sides, in lines back to the walls, were armies of shades in full battle gear. “Ετοιμος.” They all got into battle stances, weapons aimed towards Zeus.

Zeus lashed out in fear. The shadows still held him down, and his lighting had no effect on the shades. He finally looked up at Hades in fear, finding no compassion in his dark eyes. He closed his eyes, releasing his storms, and waited with bated breath.

“πηγαίνω.”

Zeus peaked through his eyelids when he felt the weight of the shadows leave him. The shade army was gone, and the lights were back on. Hades stood above him, back to normal. The only evidence of their tousle was his wind-blown hair.

“You’re an idiot,” he said to Zeus who was starting to sit up. “If you honestly think that you’re in power only because you’re the strongest of us, you’re wrong—on both accounts. If we wanted to overthrow you, we would.” He held out a hand to him. Zeus looked at it nervously but accepted the help to be brought to his feet.

“I…I see that. Then why don’t you?” he asked, a bit sheepish now that he had been brought low.

“I don’t see a need to. I don’t _want_ to challenge you, Zeus. Stop being so fucking paranoid, or you will push people to a breaking point,” Hades warned. Zeus paused, but then nodded.

“So, uh…we good?”

“Not quite,” Hades shook his head.

“No? Wh—”

Hades moved with incredible speed. In just a moment, Zeus went from vertical and speaking to cracking his head on the floor as his neck was pinned down between the prongs of the bident, said prongs which were buried deeply into the floor with the force Hades’ put with his strike.

“If you _ever_ try to hurt Persephone again, I will not have mercy,” Hades warned. “Is that understood?”

“Yep!” Zeus wheezed out from the floor.

“You need to apologize.”

“Sorry, Persephone!”

Hades looked over to his wife, her appearance haggard from where she struggled with the other gods. She was glaring but nodded.

Hades yanked the bident out of the ground before pulling Zeus back up. They both glanced at the deep gouged holes in the floor. Zeus rubbed his neck.

“Think those will buff out?” he asked. Hades just rolled his eyes, vanishing his bident and walking back to the group of onlookers. Ares and Athena still stood guard, not yet out of their armor.

Persephone’s hair had grown out of its intricate updo and tumbled down to her hips. Vines had interlaced throughout the locks, and it was tangled from the wind of the storm. Her sclera were still faintly red, but she ran to Hades all the same, flying into his arms.

“Are you okay?” she asked as she leaned back slightly, checking him over for damage she couldn’t find.

“I’m perfectly alright, I promise.” They embraced tightly.

That much couldn’t be said for Zeus. He was haggard, his suit wrinkled and torn, hair a mess, and ichor dripped from his left cheek and the back of his head. “Oh no, don’t worry about me,” he tried to tease.

People looked at him with expressions ranging from indifference, to disbelief, to anger.

“Damn it, Zeus,” Poseidon cursed. “Learn to read the fucking room.”


	4. Threats and Transitions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a little rushed in editing, so if you see any glaring issues, please let me know! 
> 
> ** UR stands for Underworld Resources. It didn't make sense to have it be Human Resources when, you know, they're different supernatural beings.
> 
> Thank you SO MUCH to everyone for leaving kudos and comments. They absolutely make my day! I can't BELIEVE there are already over 100 kudos and so many comments, by the way. It's a first for me to have so much positive reception, especially so quickly.
> 
> Chapters may be shorter now - I started a new job so I have less time on my hands.
> 
> Enjoy!!

Hades and Persephone were sitting in bed, finally home after all the politics of the day. They had been so exhausted, they hadn’t even changed before passing out above the covers. After they had woken up, Hades brought up a few snacks; they nibbled while they checked in on the fallout.

_Our Glorious Leader, Zeus, has issued a statement in regard to the trial aired today. While the trial was stalled once it was revealed that King Hades married Persephone, goddess of spring, earlier this morning, the parties came together to discuss a resolution. Queen Persephone gave her defense in private. King Zeus has found her innocent of all charges._

_King Hades and Queen Persephone have since issued an apology about their abrupt, public announcement and not going through standard procedure for divine nuptials with the assurance that, should they ever try to elope again, they will follow protocol._

_Well, it seems as though everything has turned out for the best! We at Oracle News would like to extend our congratulations and well-wishes to the new royal couple in the Underworld. We look forward to your continued reign._

Hades sighed as he watched the broadcast. It was much the same on every news channel in every realm. After they sat down with Zeus, they had come to an agreement that the best thing to do would be to be diplomatic. Also, they made sure to pull any official recordings of the trial off the air. Unfortunately, they couldn’t do anything about those who had recorded and saved the video for themselves. Oh well—being in the limelight meant that they had to accept that, sometimes, they weren’t going to look good.

When Hades mentioned this to Persephone, she had snorted.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, you looked ridiculously good,” she smiled up at him. He paused for a moment, just looking at her, before he pounced.

Persephone squealed as he tackled her onto the mattress, snacks discarded. He had her wrists in one hand, pinned above her head, which left his other hand free. Hades took a moment to stroke down her cheek gently with the back of his hand, taking extreme joy in her shiver of pleasure.

“My love, if it would please you…I’d like to—”

“YES!” Persephone squeaked.

Hades blinked in surprise. “Yes?”

The goddess blushed, realizing she sounded over-eager. “I just…I want to. Now. With you.”

Hades searched her face carefully. “Truly? You’re comfortable with this? You don’t have to be! I’m not expecting it or anything…”

Persephone smiled, pulling her wrists from his grip to cup his face gently. “Aidoneus, make love to me.”

He gulped, excitement coursing through him, along with his nerves. “Yes, my queen.”

Keeping Minthe on was a controversial decision, but it was one Persephone insisted upon. Hades was shocked when he heard to say the least.

“I was already preparing to email UR to advertise for a replacement,” he explained to Persephone as they were getting ready for work. It was the first day back since the trial, and, as such, it was Persephone’s first official work day as queen.

“No, no, I insist she stays,” Persephone said as she fastened her necklace; she had indulged Hades, allowing him to make/buy her a few sets of jewelry. She recognized it was his was of providing for her, and she had to relent that it did make sense to upgrade her wardrobe in recognition of her status change.

“But… _why_? She tried to have Zeus punish you. She made a mockery of a trial over bull shit reasons on live television!”

Persephone sighed, turning to the fretting god. “Hades, I know I have a few reasons to want her to stay, one of them much more…petty than others. In all reality, I doubt she’s given up on you. Unfortunately, there is a precedent among the kings that their assistants are mistresses of a sort. She has expectations. This means she is going to try something. If you really want to replace her, I won’t stop you; however, I’d rather be able to keep an eye on her. Second, seeing us happy together may help for her to accept things have changed and moved on.”

Persephone came over to him, brushing a stray dog hair from his suit.

“And the petty reason?” he asked.

Persephone blushed for a moment, but the guilty look on her face changed after a moment. Her eyes turned red, she grabbed his tie to pull him down a little lower and kissed him soundly. Their mouths fit together seamlessly, and her lips and tongue were more aggressive than usual as she led the kiss. Hades pulled her to him, a groan escaping. She hopped up, Hades holding her bottom to support her as she secured her legs around his waist.

When she finally pulled back for a breath, she smiled wickedly, revealing pointed teeth. “Truthfully, I want to see her suffer, and I can think of nothing that will punish her more than seeing you utterly loved by your wife. I want her to know you are _mine_ , and I won’t let any want-to-be homewrecker come between us.”

“You’re so fucking sexy when you’re devious,” Hades moaned as he kissed her again desperately. “Is this your command?”

“Am I commanding you to help me torture your ex by just being ourselves, completely in love with one another?” she cocked an eyebrow; he nodded vigorously. She could see the desire for _something_ in his eyes, so she acted on her instincts. “Hades,” she purred, “your queen _demands_ this. Will you deny your queen?”

He shook his head emphatically, trying to choke back a whine.

“Good,” Persephone smiled. When she kissed him, this time, it was much sweeter. “Now,” she said, “we don’t want to be late.”

The couple got off the elevator onto the 99th floor. They were no longer in the lust-fueled haze of the early morning, but they were still very affectionate.

Minthe was sitting at her desk, nervously tapping her foot when she heard the ding that signaled her bosses arrival. She jumped up, walking around the desk to greet him with a cup of coffee, when she heard his laughter.

Hades was walking up, Persephone at his side and holding his hand. On her head was a crown which matched his—not the flamboyant little thing she had flaunted at the sham of a trial.

 _Innocent of all charges_ …Minthe was still furious. _How does this little bitch manage to get the kings to do whatever she wants?_

Seeing the look on Hades’ face, like he thought the sun rose and set for Persephone alone…it drove Minthe positively crazy. She was positive, even when they were at their best, he had never looked at her like that. Still, she needed to get back on his good side. Just because he was married didn’t mean that what they had couldn’t continue, right? It never stopped Zeus and Thetis, after all.

With that in mind, she planted a smile in place. “Good morning, Hades,” she said as sweetly as possible. “I got this for you, made exactly as you like from your favorite café.” She held out the coffee to him. He eyed it for a moment before finally taking it. He wouldn’t even look at her, just casted his gaze away towards his office. His jaw was tight; she could see the tension through the strain of the tendons in his neck.

“Find some room in the morning schedule and call the head of the architectural department. I need to see them as soon as possible. Make sure each of my lunch hours are cleared of any meetings from here on out.”

Minthe tried not to glare at his short tone. “Yes, of course,” she nodded. He went towards his office, Persephone just behind.

“Aren’t you still a shade coordinator?” Minthe asked, tone just a bit too acidic. _Do I have to deal with her_ all _the time now?_

Hades paused, turning around sharply. Minthe didn’t have time to balk before a pink hand was thrown out in front of the king.

“Your majesty,” Persephone said.

“Excuse me?”

Persephone looked her dead in the eyes, unflinching. “I believe you meant to say, ‘Aren’t you still a shade coordinator, _your majesty_?’”

Minthe’s eyes twitched as she tried to control her expression. Hades glared at her from behind the spring goddess.

“I know this is our first day with this new arrangement, so I figure it’ll just take a brief adjustment,” Persephone remained controlled throughout the whole exchange.

“Yes, your majesty,” Minthe grinded out.

“Thank you. The answer to your question is yes, part-time. I’m also going to be working to carve out my role and duties as queen as well. My husband and I have agreed that staying together for a few hours in the mornings, having me sit in on his meetings and other business, would be a great way to transition. Once my office is built up here, I will be here full time when not at school. Meanwhile, I will only be working as a shade coordinator after lunch. Any other questions?” Persephone asked.

“No,” Minthe muttered, continuing at Persephone’s narrowed eyes, “no, your majesty.”

Persephone smiled. “Thanks!”

She followed Hades into his office. Minthe noticed Hades’ face, could see how aroused he was, and seethed. The door slammed shut, but not before she heard a surprised squeal followed by a feminine giggle.

The embarrassed nymph waited. A few hours later, Persephone made her way out of the office alone. Minthe couldn’t hold back her glare. Persephone came over and leaned against the desk.

“Look,” she began, “I know you’ve never liked me. Try as I might, I can’t say I’ve ever liked you either. I did my best not to disrespect you, however; Hades and I didn’t do anything together until after your breakup.”

Minthe sneered, “Somehow, I don’t believe you.”

Persephone shrugged. “I don’t need you to believe me.”

“What’s your point? What do you want?”

“I want you to understand that you have this job by the skin of your teeth,” Persephone glared, finally letting some of her resentment show. “I did you a favor before by not ratting you out about Tartarus. Now, I’ve done you a favor by convincing Hades to let you keep this job. He wanted to get rid of you as soon as possible and potentially have you sued on charges of severe slander. I have put a stop to that, for now.”

“Why?” Minthe snapped, confusion warring with anger.

“Because, I am giving you a chance to prove yourself,” Persephone lied. “Show that you’re better than what you’ve been.” They both stared at each other in silence for a moment.

“And you trust that Hades won’t come running back to me?” Minthe asked.

Persephone nodded before leaning forward, getting into the nymph’s face. “I also trust that, if I find you trying to seduce my husband, I will make sure you understand exactly why they call me the Bringer of Death. I may be kind most of the time, but do _not_ try me. Hades is not Zeus, but I still won’t tolerate any bull shit. Is that understood?”

Minthe’s heard was racing in fear despite her resistance.

“So help me, if you don’t respond, I’ll turn you into a _fucking plant_ ,” Persephone growled, eyes a crimson red. Her hair started to float around her.

“I-I understand,” Minthe whispered. Persephone searched her eyes for something, nodding only after she saw fear overshadowing the previous bitterness. The queen sauntered over to the elevator, not looking back at Minthe as she got in, straightening her crown.

Hermes shuffled from foot to foot in the elevator. He had received an email earlier informing him he had been summoned for a meeting with Hades right after lunch. Although the messenger god had escaped punishment from Olympus before, it didn’t mean he was safe from the king of the Underworld. Truthfully, he didn’t know whom he feared more; Zeus was merciless (often overly so and sometimes without due reason), but Hades was calculated. Doling out reward and punishment was something the god of the dead did constantly.

The ding of the elevator sounded much like a mortal death knell. Hermes gulped, stepping out onto the floor. Minthe looked up at him, appearing much paler than usual. He was still angry with her. Nonetheless, he found a certain satisfaction in having been proven right about Hades’ preferences in women.

“You can go in now,” she said in an uncharacteristically small voice.

 _What happened to her?_ he questioned. Then again, he was surprised Hades hadn’t banished her, much less kept her on as an employee. He opened the door hesitantly, almost creeping into the room. _If I’m extra sneaky, maybe he won’t even realize I’m here…_

“Come in, Hermes,” Hades called, voice almost thunderous in the otherwise-silent room. Hermes scurried in more quickly, shutting the door behind him.

Hades sat behind his desk smoking a cigar. He gestured to the seat in front of his desk. Hermes gulped before sitting down. He twiddled his thumbs, casting his gaze around the office as Hades stared him down.

Hades stood up, circling to the back of Hermes’ chair. Hermes hated the creeping feeling he had from not being able to see the other god, but he was also hesitant to turn around. Hades finally broke the silence. “You lied to me.”

Hermes flinched but didn’t respond.

“You forged paperwork. You accepted a bribe to prevent me from knowing about an act of wrath which affected my realm.” Hermes felt the sweat drip from his temple as he tried to not shake. “It has also come to my attention that you threatened Thanatos to try to keep him silent. Do you deny any of this?”

Hermes took a deep breath. “No, sire.”

Hades strolled over to his cabinet. “Tell me why. Was it just the money? Be honest.” He opened a decanter.

“It was part of it,” Hermes admitted. Hades paused before continuing to pour the rich, amber liquid.

“And the rest?” The decanter was sealed once more.

“I’ve known Kore—sorry, Persephone—for a few years now. We’re friends. I knew how poorly Zeus could react if he found out. Worst, he would severely punish her; best, he would see how beautiful she was and marry her off. I didn’t think she wanted that.”

“So, you were protecting her? Committing treason for her?”

“…Yes.”

“And if you were faced again to choose between committing treason versus guaranteeing her safety?”

Hermes’ met Hades’ gaze for the first time. “Honestly, I’d do it again, consequences be damned. I care about her, and I want to see her safe.”

Hades continued to watch him closely, puffing his cigar all the while. Finally, he relented; smiling around the cigar, he held out the tumbler of whiskey.

“Have a drink.”

Confused, the messenger god took the glass, taking a small sip as Hades poured out a generous amount for himself.

“Wait…I’m not being punished?” Hermes asked.

“You prioritized Persephone over yourself,” Hades gave a small smirk. “I’m not going to deter the loyalty I desire for her.”

Hermes’ head was spinning. “I thought…you were going…to throw me into Tartarus.”

“If it had been for anyone else, I may have,” Hades sipped his drink. “But, luckily enough, you won’t have to do this again as we would work for the common goal of our queen’s safety. I am not worried of a repeat offense…should I?”

“N-no! Not at all!” Hermes stammered.

Hades nodded, seemingly mollified. “Very well. I would ask that you don’t broadcast this, but you can stop slinking by whenever I’m walking near you. You’re not nearly as inconspicuous as you think—you’re literally bright red in a realm of blacks and blues.”

Hermes chuckled self-consciously, scratching the back of his head. “Right-o, Mr. Boss Man. So, I’m not fired, and I’m not being brutally tortured for the rest of eternity?”

“No,” Hades narrowed his eyes, smiling devilishly. “However, you _do_ get to go back and fix aaaalllll that paperwork.”

Hermes gulped. “Oh _joy_.”

Over a week of classes missed. Persephone was nervous, thinking about how out of character this was for her. Luckily, her professors had all been very accommodating in light of the recent events. They gave her all her missing assignments over email and linked her to recordings of the lectures. Accustomed to the workload and subsequent ethic demanded by her mother, she plowed through them all in a day, submitting them in the order they arrived. All she had to do was wait for the grades to be calculated and released.

Going back to classes was daunting in more than one way. It was in one thing to go to work after the impromptu wedding, but attending university with classmates who despised her was hard enough without the backlash from the aborted trial and her rise to royalty…yes, she figured, it was definitely going to be worse than before.

 _I don’t need everyone to like me_ , she told herself. _I have plenty of friends without relying on those students!_

Despite this, she still found herself upset and disappointed.

“You’re stressed,” Hades noted as he stepped into the walk-in closet. Persephone was standing in the middle of the room, staring at the mirror with a disconcerted look on her face, still not dressed in anything other than her undergarments. Hades’ voice seemed to break through her reverie, and she blinked rapidly.

“The other students already don’t like me,” she sighed, finally pulling on a dress. Hades noted its coloring, a combination of white and black, and smiled; it reminded him of her wedding dress as well as the union of their domains. “This isn’t going to convince them to give me another chance. They’re terrified of the Underworld…Could you help me with this, please?”

Hades fastened the string of sapphires around her neck. “And by the Underworld, do you mean me?” he teased; he assumed yes by her terse lips. He continued on, more serious, “Eros had mentioned none of them seemed terribly fond of you when he was on his search. Why is that? Nearly everyone likes you.”

She sighed. The list of people who didn’t like her seemed to grow. “I would rather not talk about it…”

“Ah, okay,” Hades said, but he noticed she wouldn’t look at him. _What would make them dislike her? Something had to put them off, and since it wasn’t her, it would be something related to her. This was before the trial, so something else had to have hurt her repu…SHIT_. “I-it was the eyeball thing, wasn’t it?”

Persephone paused a moment, biting her lip, before nodding. “It was the eyeball thing.”

Guilt flooded Hades along with the bitterness that they would blame her for his actions. Didn’t they know it was him at fault? That Persephone had done everything in her power to right the situation, including making him go back on his punishment?

“I’m so sorry, sweetness,” he apologized.

“It’s okay,” she assured him. “The past is the past, and we’ve done what we could. They aren’t obligated to trust or forgive me.”

Hades frowned but pulled her close. “I still don’t like it.”

She placed a hand on his cheek, giving an indulgent smile. “I know. It isn’t like you to accept anyone that would make me unhappy. But they’re entitled to their feelings just as much as we are—even if they go against what you want them to feel,” she chucked lightly. He turned his head, kissing her palm.

“Fine, fine,” he sighed. “Do you want me to drop you off?”

Persephone thought about it; her classmates were going to stare at her anyway—why not enjoy her husband driving her to class? She nodded.

It turned out, Hades didn’t just want to drop Persephone off. He parked, holding open the door for her. When she stepped out, he took her backpack from her and tossed it over his own shoulder. Then, after locking the car, he took her hand, lacing their fingers together. He placed a brief kiss on her knuckles.

“Lead the way, sweetness,” he smiled. Persephone couldn’t help her giggle as she leaned into his arm a bit. They headed towards the STEM building complex together. Students rushed by, some looking professional while others looked haggard, like they were hanging on to sanity and their GPAs by caffeine and willpower alone. A few did happen to look at the couple and gawk. Hades pretended not to notice the path that was cleared when they saw him coming; he was used to it, after all.

Entering the building, Persephone guided him to her classroom; they had about ten minutes before it began, so the students from the previous class were clearing out. Hades and Persephone leaned up against the wall near the door, chatting about whether she thought there would be a pop quiz that hour (she was betting on yes). The flood of students with their heads down and headphones in meant they didn’t pay attention to who was standing there. It made it all the more impactful once her other classmates went in to find their seats, and she and Hades finally stepped into the doorway.

“You don’t have to come in,” she whispered.

“I’ll go if you want me to, but I wanted to walk you to your desk,” he whispered back. Rather than being frustrated with him, she smiled.

“Does this have something to do with intimidating the other kids?”

“No,” he denied. At her _yeah right_ look, he relented, “Okay, but not completely. I want to spoil you.”

She accepted this and allowed him to follow her in, hands still clasped.

The general clamor of the students talking with each other before the professor called them to attention immediately hushed, people elbowing each other with a few mouthed, “Do you see that?” and “What the hell?” Still, Persephone didn’t look at them, only having eyes for her husband.

“ _Oh_!” her professor exclaimed. “Your…your majesty-sties, I mean, I didn’t know both of you would be here!”

Hades chuckled, pulling out Persephone’s chair for her as she sat. He placed her book bag on the floor gently next to her.

“Don’t worry,” Hades turned to the instructor, “I’m not staying. I just wanted to walk my wife to class.” The way he said wife was so pleased that Persephone got butterflies. _I love him so much!_

“Of course,” the professor smiled. “You could always sit in, if you’d like.”

What the professor didn’t see were the fearful glances of some of the students along with a couple glares.

“I may take you up on that another day, thank you,” Hades said graciously. “However, I think you’ll find my knowledge of biochemistry a bit lacking. I’ll leave that to my queen.”

Hades turned around, giving her a gentle kiss. “I’ll see you at the end of the day, my love.”

She smiled, eyes bright. “Go do all that fun paperwork…and strike fear into the hearts of mortals.”

He laughed, heading towards the door. He gave a little wave before closing the door.

Silence.

“Well,” the professor cleared his throat. “Take out your pencils—pop quiz time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a preview for the next chapter - 
> 
> We're finally going to see Apollo's reaction...and backlash. Yes, it's all planned out, and the reaction from my sister when I told them what was coming next, oh boy - hopefully you'll find as much joy and devious satisfaction as they did. If you think what happened to Zeus was good, I can only warn you to prepare yourselves. The rise of the Dread Queen is coming.
> 
> Update: Want previews and recs for other fics? Follow my tumblr blog! https://www.tumblr.com/settings/blog/madame-forget-me-not-lo-fic


	5. The Rise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short chapter with some anger and horror to tide us over.  
> Happy Halloween!!

It had been several weeks since the trial, and Persephone and Hades found themselves in a nice routine. Persephone worked in the Underworld when not in class, performing duties as queen in the morning and shade coordinator in the afternoons. Then, they would leave the office around 6 pm and pick up the pups from doggy daycare. They’d eat dinner together, homemade or takeout depending on the day, then either settle in with a form of entertainment or take the dogs on a walk. Their nights (sometimes evenings…or lunch…or early mornings between meetings) were filled with more amorous activities. Persephone got to benefit from Hades’ devotion and years of experience while Hades finally got to truly make love with someone as well as understanding the beauty of being with a fertility goddess.

Something Persephone found daunting, but also extremely exciting, was judgement. She and Hades donned opulent mortal garbs and their official crowns then sat in their thrones before the court. (She was still baffled at having her own throne.) They both studied the mortals’ cases beforehand to get a general idea of what occurred, establishing a baseline before the mortal could plead their case. Hades had been surprised by how dedicated Persephone was, obsessively studying and taking notes on the scrolls the night before.

“I want to make sure everything is as fair and just as possible,” she explained when asked. Hades had never seen anyone other than Hecate who had a work ethic that matched his; there was a chance Persephone’s could surpass his own. It was an extremely attractive trait.

It was during court one day that they learned exactly what had been going on in the mortal realm lately.

The shade was brought in. He was recently deceased, dying after Persephone was coronated. In the beginning of her joining Hades, there had been great surprise among the shades that didn’t know there was a queen in the Underworld as they had passed so many years before. Hades and Persephone had gotten used to giving those explanations; this was new, however.

The shade looked scared before he laid eyes on her. His look of pure awe was something Persephone found many men had when faced with a goddess. Still, it was odd that he didn’t even cast a glance to her husband.

“Queen Persephone?” the man murmured; she nodded. “You’re even more glorious that described!”

She blinked in surprise. “Oh, thank you. Who speaks of me? I haven’t been present among mortals in a very long time.”

“Why, my lord’s priests and priestesses, of course!” he explained. “He wanted to make sure we knew of his lost love!”

“Pardon me?” Hades scoffed. The shade finally looked at him; the dominant emotion on his face was anger rather than fear or respect.

“We were told of the beautiful goddess of spring, secretly betrothed to my lord, their love greater than any mortal could know—blessed by Aphrodite herself. But the beautiful goddess was stollen away, forced to marry the god of the dead, tricked into eating the fruit of the Underworld…cursed to never see her beloved again.” Persephone had seen shades upset before, had seen them sob and beg, but she never had seen one cry in anger at the gods.

His tale troubled the couple before him greatly.

“And who, exactly, was your lord and my supposed-beloved?” Persephone scowled, sitting up straighter in her seat.

The shade looked baffled. “Why, the great Apollo, my lady!”

Persephone’s anger coursed through her body like a jolt of electricity, a heavy fire settling in her stomach. She had wondered what the backlash from Apollo would be following the wedding, but she had gotten complacent in the temporary silence. She hadn’t dreamed this would be his retribution.

She stood, sclera a bright crimson, thorns growing up around the points of her crown. The man fell to his knees, finally knowing true fear.

“Your lord _lied_ ,” Persephone hissed. “I don’t love him—I _despise_ him. He will rue the day he challenged the queen of the Underworld! Husband, remind of this man’s ledger, if you would.”

“He always paid tribute to the gods,” Hades said but continued on in a clipped tone. “But, on three separate occasions, he beat his children till they were bloody, and he insisted his spouse perform her _wifely duties_ nearly every night, no matter if she protested.”

“She was my wife! She belonged to me. Is it a crime now for a man to insist upon wives performing the duty for which they were born and bought?”

Persephone snarled, “No wonder you follow that bastard sun god!” she turned to Hades. “My king, I would cast judgement.”

“So let it be done, my queen,” he nodded solemnly; inside, however, he was gleeful.

The goddess whipped her head back to the man cowering on the floor.

“You ask if this is a crime—the answer is _yes_ , and I am more than joyful to ensure it is punished accordingly. You will know your children’s pain. You will know your wife’s pain. Mortal, for the crimes of battery and rape, I sentence you to Tartarus.”

The man whimpered, sniveling, before begging her to reconsider. His pleas fell on deaf ears.

“We’re done for the day!” Persephone snapped. “Clear the room!”

Everyone scurried out; Hades didn’t challenge her. “My love?”

“Call your brother,” she commanded. “My wrath will be known swiftly.”

Apollo had been visiting his temples much more frequently than usual to make sure that his plan came to fruition. Finally, he was at Delphi. He usually communicated with his oracle through visions and dreams, but he recently had noticed her extremely panicked prayers. Thus, during the evening, he appeared in her chambers.

She fell to her knees before him. “Please! _Please_ , my lord! I see such darkness! Such death and pain and suffering! Spare us, please!” she begged.

“What are you talking about?” he asked; he hadn’t seen or issued any new prophesies.

“Lord Apollo, please,” she cried. “So many gone…”

Apollo, baffled, touched her forehead. Channeling his power, he attempted to see what she did.

He couldn’t get the words he usually interpreted from the Fates, but he caught glimpses—famine, freezing temperatures, corpses littering the streets, massacre after massacre…horror flooded his system.

It wasn’t solidified yet. They were at a crossroads of destiny here. But what sparked it? What was the catalyst? He couldn’t see.

He felt a presence behind him. He swung around, surprised.

His shock grew along with his sneer. “Ah, the new queen of the Underworld. Finally realized you can’t live without the sun and need me?”

Persephone stood there, mostly in shadows. Her glowing magenta skin was highlighted by the torches on the walls. A very large crown with halos of tall spikes sat upon her head.

“Apollo,” she said, her voice otherworldly and echoing throughout the room. “You have spread lies among the mortals.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he rolled him eyes. Her expression did not change.

“You will recant your statements and spread the truth instead.”

His anger flared. “You dare try to control me, you B-grade goddess?” he snarled.

“Recant your statements, Apollo,” she warned once more.

“There’s not a chance in Tartarus, you bitch!” he yelled, livid. _So fucking disrespectful!_ “You’re not above me just because you're Hades’ little whore!”

“ _NO_!” he heard the oracle scream in horror behind him; he paid her no mind.

Persephone merely watched him for a moment, head cocked slightly to the side before baring her fang-like teeth in a facsimile of a smile. “Phoebus Apollo, you have disrespected me. You raped me. You slander me. You have challenged the respect of my kingdoms. You denied my demands, so you will know my wrath.”

The visions flashed behind his eyes once more, solidified—a certainty. He felt a sudden surge of pure dread. In the moment he wasn’t looking, Persephone vanished.

Angrier than ever, he whipped around away from where she had been standing. There, splayed on the ground before him, anguished face covered in drying tears, was his oracle. A single pink rose had bloomed through her mouth.

Thanatos had already come and gone.


	6. Permits and Allies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me!! I am SO sorry this is so late and short. I felt so bad leaving you where I did. I got a new job recently; I'm finally teaching (yay!!) but I was left with weeks of ungraded work and report cards were due and it was just...ugh the past few weeks have been so incredibly stressful. I'm hoping I'm over that hump now so posting should be more regular.   
> Thank you if you're still interested in this. All of the comments have been so helpful in giving me motivation.

**Act of Wrath Permit**

**God/Goddess:** King Hades and Queen Persephone

 **Location:** Sparta, Delphi, Delos, Thebes, Megara, Ertria, Epidaurus, Miletus

 **Perpetrator:** Apollo

 **Reason:** rape, blackmail, slander, disrespect to royalty and realm

 **Act:** punishment of patron city-states through weather, famine, war, etc. until the perpetrator agrees to applicant(s)’s terms and turns himself in to the Underworld for justice

 ** _This act of wrath is hereby approved of by_** Zeus, King of the Gods **_and is a legal, binding document_**.

Apollo stormed into Zeus’ office, grateful for the last-minute appointment.

“Apollo,” Zeus said, much more reserved than usual. “What do you need?”

“Lord Zeus,” he began, making his voice as sweet as possible in the hopes it would flatter the god’s ego, “despite your mercy, Persephone has not learned!”

“Oh?” Zeus cocked an eyebrow.

“Yes—she’s back to her old ways, committing an act of wrath, likely because she was let off easy last time. She thinks she can abuse the system and your good will,” Apollo explained; unfortunately, he didn’t realize that this was one of those moments where Zeus was actually perceptive in differing what was truth and what was flattery.

“What did she do?”

“She killed my Oracle of Delphi!” Apollo exclaimed, eyes wide. “And she said there was more to come. I’ve even had a vision of it. She thinks just because she’s married to someone with a big name, she is above the Olympians. She thinks she can do whatever she wants. You must stop it before she goes any further!”

Zeus glared. “I ‘must’ not do shit. _I_ decide. _I am king_ , not you.”

“Of-of course,” Apollo backtracked, shocked at how poorly Zeus was treating him. He had always been his favorite.

Zeus smirked though it did not lessen the electric feeling in the air. “As far as _Queen_ Persephone’s wrath, I’m afraid she has cleared it through me. All the paperwork was done, all i’s dotted, all t’s crossed. Completely legal and sanctioned.”

Apollo balked, “You can’t be serious!”

Zeus stood, coming around the desk to get into Apollo’s face. “You may be an Olympian, Apollo, but you do not outrank royalty, so cut the shit about Persephone being lower than you in status. Secondly, you fucked up. You had all these willing women, and you wouldn’t keep in in your pants. You disrespected one of the gods’ oldest organizations, one which your very twin is a core member, and technically TGOEM has a right to punish you. You disrespected my brother, challenging his authority in his kingdom, not to mention—you raped his future queen. _You fucked up_ , and now you have a shit storm coming.” Zeus crossed his arms, leaning against his desk. “You’d best hope some other god will have pity upon you, but it isn’t coming from me.”

Apollo’s rage intensified, his purple skin cracking with gold fissures. “What do you know about what she’s planning?”

Zeus looked calculating. “Fates know I had to work to convince her that eternity in Tartarus would be more work than other more…creative measures. And let me tell you, she’s creative. You’ll get everything coming to you and more. Do yourself a favor, Apollo, and shove your pride aside. Concede to her demands. You’re dismissed.”

Apollo slammed the door on the way out.

**_Previously_ **

Demeter was working with a few of the nymphs in the field, taking stock of the progress of the latest harvest yield, when her name was called.

“Lady Demeter, Lady Demeter!”

The goddess turned around to see one of the flower nymphs holding out a cell phone to her; typically, Demeter didn’t allow the thing to come out of the house, so she was surprised.

“It’s Persephone,” the nymph said through panted breaths. Demeter immediately grabbed the phone.

“Kore-cob, are you alright?” she asked, anxious.

“I’m okay, I promise!” her daughter’s voice came through the line; her genuine tone allowed Demeter to relax. Still, Persephone usually only called her once a week, and in the evenings at that. This middle-of-the-day call was concerning.

“What’s going on, sweetheart?” she asked.

She heard Persephone sigh on the other end. “Mama, I need your help.”

“Absolutely!” Demeter gushed; did she want to come home? Despite knowing beyond a doubt that her daughter was in a loving marriage, she would still jump at the chance to have her baby back. “Just name it, and mama will be there.”

“I need your help to get back at the man who hurt me.”

Demeter flashed back to the conversation with Hera, where she had alluded to Persephone being blackmailed by a god, leading her to running away in the first place. Demeter hadn’t gotten any details as to what the god had over her daughter and cursed herself for being so caught up in everything else that she hadn’t pressed for answers.

“Who is it? What happened?”

“Mama, I need you to listen to all of this before you react, okay? You should probably sit down.”

Dread flooded Demeter. “Honey…I’ll listen. You just tell me, and we will make it right.”

“Right after I came to Olympus, well…gosh, this is so hard to tell you. After I came to Olympus, one of the gods I met, well, he claimed I had led him on, but I _hadn’t,_ I _swear_ —”

Demeter’s heart nearly stopped as tears flooded her eyes.

“B-but he snuck into my room, and I told him no, but he kept pressuring me, didn’t listen that I was going to be an eternal maiden, and made me feel like I had no choice so I said okay, but it wasn’t right and it hurt, but he wouldn’t stop,” Persephone’s voice choked with tears; she couldn’t see Demeter when she fell to the ground, hand clasped over her mouth in horror as she fought down a sob. “He raped me, Mama.”

The nymphs had rushed over to help Demeter, but she waved them away. Her whole world had been turned on its head as a mixture of rage and overwhelming grief flooded her. “ _Who_?” she demanded.

“Before I tell you, I don’t want you to go after him yourself. I have a plan, a full-scale act of wrath. Zeus has even approved it. You need to do this my way.”

Demeter wanted to argue, to take over, to let Persephone know that _she_ was the mother, Persephone the child, but she knew better now. The other person on the end of the phone was her baby, but she was also a strong, capable woman. “Very well.”

“Mama, I need your help to punish Apollo.”

 _Stay the fuck away from my daughter!_ She realized now her warning had been too late. She felt her hair tumble out of its carefully crafted bun despite her years of exercised control.

Her voice rumbled with her fury laced in every word. “Consider it done.”

Persephone sat with Eros on his bed, one leg tucked up under her while the other draped near the floor. She and Eros both had on face masks while he braided her hair. A soap opera played behind them, and they had already spent several hours critiquing the writing while also finding themselves totally absorbed.

“Hey, I got your text,” Ares poked his head into the door, grabbing their attention away from the TV. Persephone turned to look at the god of war, noting his look of curiosity as he leaned on the door jam. “What d’ya need?”

Persephone patted the bed next to her and Eros. “Come sit?”

Ares didn’t need further invitation, flopping onto the mattress, bouncing the other occupants. Persephone giggled as she stabilized herself. She reached for the manicure set that she and Eros had utilized earlier and held out a hand expectantly for Ares’. He didn’t question this, giving her his right hand without question.

While Persephone began cleaning under his nails before filing them, she said, “I need a favor, if you’re willing.”

“Unsatisfied so early in your marriage?” he smirked. Persephone glared at him; he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Sorry, petal. What is it you want?”

“You once offered to kill someone for me,” she said casually, taking the file to his index finger.

A smile split Ares’ face. “Are you taking me up on it? Give me the name!”

Persephone’s eyes sparkled with a certain satisfied mischief. “Actually, I more so need you to give your blessing on a few armies…and some curses on others.”

“What for?” he asked, confused.

“Well, their patron is someone I am currently, well, let’s say—at war with.” It was her turn to smirk. “And it’s all a part of my act of wrath I have planned out…and have approved for that matter.”

Ares narrowed his eyes. He knew violence really wasn’t something Persephone condoned, so if she was being driven to an act of wrath… “What did they do?”

“Beyond the fact that he’s a pompous prick?” Eros muttered from where he was working through a more complicated section of hair. Ares’ eyes flickered between his son and the tiny goddess before him. “Bastardizing my domain, corrupting a beautiful thing with such a heinous act. I ought to take him on directly myself.”

Fury began to rise in Ares as he started piecing things together.

“Red or black?” Persephone asked him, holding up the two different polishes.

“Red,” he said. She twisted open the cap. “ _Tell me who_.”

“Apollo,” she sighed; the more she said it, the less it hurt every time. “Right after I moved to Olympus.”

Ares could taste the anger from the three deities in the room, each with a different tenor. No wonder Eros was so pissed—his son despised the abuse of his domain, not to mention he adored Persephone. And the rage that had been twisting Persephone inside and out…it all made sense.

“And my dad decided to let you go against his little favorite?” he sneered.

“Yep,” she popped the ‘p’. “Of course, this is technically a duel act of wrath as it pertains to both Hades and myself, and I don’t think he will be turning down Hades for a while.”

Ares chuckled, “I imagine not. But what do you need me to do?”

“I need you to ensure that none of the city-states which primarily serve him win any battles until Apollo meets my demands,” she explained, lightly blowing on his nails to encourage them to dry more quickly.

Ares chuckled, a dark, devious tone. “I can do even better than that…oh, make sure you fix that part right there.”

Persephone ran another coat over the area in question. “Thank you, Ares.”

After the murder of the oracle of Delphi, the true act began. It started with the flowers and fruits, all things under Persephone’s domain. They wilted and died quickly, something devastating for the groups of people who lived many of those for survival. They prayed to Apollo for forgiveness of whatever crime they had committed against the god, for they were confused. Had they not been loyal followers?

Apollo, furious at his powerlessness, began to plot—how to get back at Persephone? How to make her stop her temper tantrum?

He smirked, pulling out his phone. “Two can play at that, little girl.”


	7. Betrayal and Revenge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for discussion of sexual assault (not in detail) and a brief mention of slut-shaming.
> 
> As always, thank you for your patience!
> 
> If you haven't followed my Lore Olympus fanfiction tumblr, you're welcome to! I give occasional updates to this story, recommendations, and even some discourse on the series as a whole. I'm also willing to take requests for short fics to keep my writing skills sharp. https://madame-forget-me-not-lo-fic.tumblr.com/

The past few months had been hectic for the goddess of the hunt, to say the least. Taking on another person in her home, navigating the complications which arose from having a roommate, having said roommate be negative to her brother, her brother acting weirder than usual…then Persephone running away, the sudden marriage, and now. Now, her brother almost entirely shut her out, his cities were apparently under duress, and TGEOM members were all being closed off with her, not sharing any information they may have about the events.

Apollo was angry and distant, and Persephone was ignoring her. Artemis felt isolated and abandoned—something she never anticipated. As a result, she had been spending more and more time in the mortal realm, even in the daytime. She had been more active both hunting as well as interacting with her various priestesses. It was from this that she noticed the masses of people flooding into the cities.

They were bedraggled, looking exhausted and afraid. There were people from all classes, ages, and genders. As Artemis hid herself, she listened to the people’s stories for hours, recounting the trials they had recently undergone. The starvation and destruction of their homes and livelihoods, along with their morose countenances, was enough combined to move even the goddess to tears. This continued even as she felt more worship come to her from this area.

Something that grabbed her attention acutely was the descriptions of how the events came to pass. Famine had been the primary route of suffering. It was something that should be easily avoided through worship and offerings to Demeter. Typically, mortals were good about that. The next thing that grabbed her attention were the mentions of these refugees’ origins. All were from her brothers’ patron city-states. She knew that they weren’t doing well, but she hadn’t imagined it was this bad; no wonder her brother had been so upset lately.

Either way, Artemis decided she had to get to the bottom of things; they were praying to her, after all.

First, Artemis travelled to Delphi; it seemed to be where most of the individuals had come from. she donned a mortal disguise but regretted immediately her choice of clothing. She was hit with gusts of cold wind, shaking her to her core for a moment before she was able to produce a warm wrap for herself. She had never felt a mortal city so cold; most areas didn’t get so frigid, other than those near mountaintops.

 _It’s almost like the Underworld_ , she thought to herself.

As she wandered, she noted just how devastated the region seemed to be. All the trees and crops were barren; the flowers and berry-wielding plants were wilted; and barely any wildlife could be found. The streets were mostly empty. Evidence of abandoned homes and shops were to be found all throughout the area. Those whom she did see were despondent, eyes gaunt, cheeks sunken in, and were quiet more often than not. This was the opposite of how the city usually was from what she remembered.

“Excuse me,” she said to a man in garb she recognized as those of her brother’s priests. “Could you explain to me what has happened here? This is not the Delphi of my memory.”

The man’s face soured. “Nor any of ours, until recently at least. To be quite frank with you, young last, no one truly knows. No matter how we pray not the sacrifices me make to both our lord and the Lady Demeter, this punishment still curses our lands.”

“A punishment?” she asked. “What did your people do to warrant such an extreme divine punishment?”

“We don’t know!” he insisted, exhibiting the most emotion she had seen in anyone in the town. “Nothing we have done has changed. We do not know of any great blasphemy or blasphemers. Yet…when I heard of the murder of the Oracle, I feared what would follow…then, of course, the plants began to die. Suddenly, within a day or so, everything had—”

“Wait,” Artemis interrupted, chocked; she hadn’t heard of the Oracle’s passing. “You say the Oracle was _murdered_?”

“Yes,” the priest nodded, “and we do not think it was by any mortal, nor by Lord Apollo for that matter.”

Artemis grabbed his biceps, confident she was onto something. “How do you know?”

The man’s nose crunched, likely upset with her lack of decorum. “Well, do _you_ know of a mortal, magician or not, who can make a fully-bloomed rose, roots and all, suddenly bloom from a woman’s lungs? I, for one, do not.”

Artemis let the man go, shaken to the core. _She couldn’t have…_

The doors to the courtroom were slammed open, crashing into the marble walls with a loud bang. Those who were in the room either jumped or froze at the shock. Judgement sessions had just adjourned, and those present were ready to get changed and head home.

Hades and Persephone, both of whom had adopted much less formal postures while still sitting on their thrones and talking, snapped to attention at the intruder.

“A-Artemis,” Persephone stuttered, looking nervous. “What brings you here?”

Artemis stood in the doorway in her battle gear, bow and arrow in hand, a ferocious look on her face. “What brings me here?” she sneered. “I don’t know…maybe your new gardening habits?”

Persephone’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”

Artemis began strolling towards the thrones. “Oh, I’m sorry, have you always made a point of using internal organs as a gardening bed, _Bringer of Death_?”

Persephone paled before leaning over to her increasingly-angry husband. She whispered something in his ear to which he immediately began protesting. She placed a hand gently over his mouth.

“Please trust me,” she implored, magenta eyes wide. Despite the reluctance on his face and the tense line of his jaw, he nodded. He stood up and casted his eyes over his various employees.

“Anyone who isn’t a goddess, clear the room,” he commanded. He walked out the door set into the wall behind the thrones as all the others vacated as well. Once the women were alone, Persephone stood and began.

“So, you’ve learned of the Oracle then,” she said, squaring her shoulders. To her surprise, Artemis loosed an arrow which hit the wall to Persephone’s right.

“How courteous of you not to deny it,” she glared, another arrow notched. “While we’re at it, how about the famine?”

Another arrow flew through the air, this time much closer. As the queen saw it embed into her throne, her anger rose. She turned back to the vengeful goddess and glared.

“It is still spring. It is my domain, and I decide what blooms and where,” she stated, voice cold as she stepped down from the raised platform.

“Even if that is inside an innocent woman?” Artemis balked. Persephone’s eyes seemed to shine with regret for only a moment before she nodded. “This is not the goddess of spring I knew! You’ve been corrupted!”

Corruption…that she had been forever tainted by what had happened to her was one of Persephone’s biggest fears. Was her wrath not proof of that irrevocable change? But, no, she had felt wrath before, she tried assuring herself. This time, she just had a deserving target.

“Perhaps I have been,” she admitted softly, but her voice went sharp once more. “If so, I blame that horrid brother of yours!”

An arrow again, though this one’s aim was true. It headed straight towards Persephone’s heart. In the brief moment before impact, Persephone steeled herself. _I will not be moved_.

To both their shocks, it froze just before it made contact. Both looked at it floating midair for a moment before it flew behind Artemis to the back corner of the room.

There, in the shadows, stood the goddess of magic. Her eyes glowed a bright gold, a smirk adorning her lips as she twirled the arrow between her fingers.

“Now, now,” she admonished, pushing away from the wall and walking towards the others. “No weapons in the courtroom. Can you imagine the chaos that would break out if they were permitted?” Her voice, melodic and mocking, yet still unreadable, had Artemis on edge. Not many truly frightened her, but Hecate was one of them.

“Why are you in here?” Artemis growled through gritted teeth. “Hades commanded everyone out; or do you not listen to your king?”

Hecate leaned in closer to Artemis, violating her personal space. “Careful, young one. I am infinitely more loyal to my king than you are to yours. I never violated his orders.”

“He said only goddesses could remain,” Persephone chuckled, shaking her head. “I should have known. He was too careful with his language.”

“You weren’t aware?” Artemis glared, shifting her attention to the smaller woman.

Persephone shook her head. “No, but I am grateful. Just because I’m immortal doesn’t mean an arrow to the chest would be pleasant.”

“By all accounts, you should be imprisoned for that,” Hecate noted. “But I am outranked here, so I defer to my queen.”

Artemis searched Persephone’s face, suddenly nervous for what imprisonment in the Underworld would mean for her. “Will you?”

Persephone paused for a moment then sighed. “No, I won’t. I never wanted to hurt you, Artemis. You’re my friend.”

“Friends don’t disparage each other’s families for no reason!” Artemis shouted. Persephone’s eyes went red for the first time throughout their encounter.

“Just as you have never cast aspersions on my husband, making assumptions about him just for being related to his asshole brother, hm?” she was met with silence. “That’s what I thought. Besides, I actually have very good reasons for punishing your brother.”

“What is it then?” Artemis demanded. Against her will, tears came to her eyes. “Because you’re really living up to your name right now, and I just don’t understand how you could change so much so quickly.”

“I don’t know how to tell you,” Persephone bowed her head; she felt Hecate touch her comfortingly on her shoulder.

Artemis finally relinquished her bow. “Please, just tell me. I have to understand. My brother is suffering, innocent mortals are dying, and you have the power to stop it all.”

“Your brother…” Persephone began softly. She stopped, cleared her throat, and spoke more clearly. “Apollo saw something he wanted, and he decided to take it even when denied. I was so lost and in shock, I didn’t know what to do. So I suffered through it and tried to move on. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the memo and kept harassing me. I drew the line at blackmail.”

Artemis’ whole body went cold, even as she felt herself begin to tremble. “No, no, he couldn’t—he _wouldn’t_!”

Persephone flinched. “Yet he did,” she murmured softly. Artemis searched her face, her tone, her body language for any sign, no matter how small, that hinted that the story to be falsehood. There was none.

“But I would _know_!” she wailed, desperately trying to believe her own words.

“I tried to tell you,” Persephone whispered. “I just…couldn’t. I know how much you love him.”

Artemis’ tears streamed down her cheeks even as she frantically tried to wipe them away. She locked eyes with Hecate, almost begging the other goddess to contradict the accusation. She was met with stoney sience and a look she couldn’t decipher in her emotional state.

Artemis wanted to continue denying it. Part of her wanted to call Persephone a liar and accuse her of being so many terms she had punished men for using for years; however, she found she couldn’t. she had helped too many girls over the years who had had similar things happen, who were cast out of their homes, called liars and whores. How could she herself perpetuate the same behavior she despised in others?

Still, she grieved for the sibling she thought she had.

“I’m so sorry,” she managed to get out, eyes flooded with pain as she looked at her friend. “I didn’t protect you. I tried to hurt you. And I let you suffer. You said you didn’t want him there, and I didn’t listen—”

Persephone interrupted her with a hug. “I just want my friend right now, not apologies. I can’t comfort you very well at the moment. We need to talk more in the future to get everything sorted. For now, though, I need a hug.”

Artemis quieted herself, endeavoring to do right by her friend. She tried to push down her own grief and anguish for the moment and focused on making things right.

The morning had been exhausting for Persephone, to say the least. She was still reeling from Artemis’ fit of temper; the weapon wasn’t something she had considered in her many imaginings of how telling the other goddess would go. It was something she realized would take time to get over. As much as she didn’t want to draw this out, despite all her inclinations to just force herself to move past this, she knew they would both have to take time to properly process and communicated before moving forward.

It seemed as though therapy was paying off.

Still, knowledge of the proper way to handle the situation didn’t take all the tension out of her shoulders or give her more energy to continue facing the day. As a result, Persephone found herself reaching up to try to rub the tension out of her own shoulders with one hand while holding her dangling heels in the other as she leaned against the elevator walls. When the ding sounded, alerting her that she had arrived to the 99th floor, she stepped out sluggishly.

She looked towards the reception desk as she headed towards her office and saw her new PA, Aileen, in a furious whisper argument with Minthe.

Aileen was a lampades, beautiful but unsettling with her pale, almost translucent, skin and pitch-black eyes. When caught in the right light, the bones of her jaw could be visible. Despite their rarity making them the center of attention in most rooms, people rarely hired lampades due to their appearance and aura. Persephone, however, found them intriguing, extremely polite, and very hospitable to her. Several desired to be in service to their new queen, and she was very flattered and grateful.

Persephone sighed quietly at the bickering women, not wanting to deal with her husband’s ex and her drama. Still, she couldn’t stifle her curiosity when the nymph noticed her and greeted her with a malicious grin.

“Why, good afternoon, your majesty!” Minthe said, making the title sound derogatory. “How is your day going?”

“Just peachy,” Persephone narrowed her eyes distrustfully.

“Oh good!” Minthe laughed. “Though I dare say _mine_ might be going a little better than yours.”

“Will you be quiet?” Aileen hissed, glaring at the other assistant.

Minthe seemed to consider her next actions carefully before turning back to Persephone. A more reserved smirk adorned her lips.

“Well, I just thought our _dear queen_ would like someone to commiserate with. After all, I know bad press can be so stressful.” Her saccharine voice dripped venom.

“Bad press?” Persephone asked, confused.

Aileen grabbed Minthe before she could continue. “I’m sorry, my Lady. I should have realized you didn’t know and spoken up sooner. King Hades wants to see you in his office as soon as possible,” she explained

Persephone found it tough to swallow as her heart began to pound erratically. Anxiety made her stomach turn. What had happened to make Aileen so concerned and Minthe so smug?

“Of course he does,” Minthe snickered. “Even Zeus makes sure his nudes don’t get released to the press—much less any pictures from during the act itself.”

Persephone trembled in fear before darting into Hades’ office, slamming the door shut behind her. He sat at his desk, face in his hands before it shot up at the sound of the door. His irises were glowing red, but his eyes still shone with tears.

Persephone’s breath caught for a moment, fearing his anger was towards her. Then, he stood, coming around the desk and holding his arms open. It was an offer she couldn’t refuse, and she found herself rushing into his embrace. She burrowed her face into his chest.

“It’s going to be okay,” he murmured gently as he stroked her hair.

“How bad is it?” she whispered; his long pause spoke volumes.

“It’s not good. He managed to blur himself enough in the photos that you can’t tell it’s him, and he cropped enough of your face out to hide that it wasn’t consensual.” Hades’ voice was gruff and angry, foreboding of horrid punishments for any who was the catalyst of such a state. Still, it was steady and displayed a control of emotion that Persephone relied on as she found it hard to calm herself, losing control of her breathing. She buried her nose back into Hades’ chest, inhaling his winter wildfire scent to help ground her. “Luckily, it’s only the trash magazines who are reporting it so far, and even then, none in the Underworld are touching it. It’s only the Olympus tabloids that dare.”

“Minthe said not even Zeus has had pictures of himself published. How did I manage to mess this up so badly?” her voice cracked on the last word.

“You didn’t mess up _anything_ ,” Hades snarled. “That was all that purple prick sun god. And I guarantee you that Zeus’ pictures have been submitted to tabloids before.”

“Then why—”

“Because you’re new, young, and a woman.” Hera’s voice cut through the room. She stood in the doorway of the office, tear tracks and running mascara on her cheeks.

“Besides, you’re nice. They don’t expect any real retribution from you. I am a bit surprised they would take the risk with Hades, but that’s something that could be explained away by the expectation that he wouldn’t be allowed to punish a citizen f Olympus who didn’t commit any crimes in the Underworld, especially following your recent legal battle with Zeus,” Hera explained. She closed the door behind her before walking over to the liquor cabinet.

“I hope they realize that isn’t what is going to happen,” Hades snapped.

Hera smirked, giving a dry chuckle. “No, it’s not. Zeus is pissed. This reflects poorly on all of us. He doesn’t want to personally battle the press out of concern for how it could damage their relationship and the implications of that, but he is willing to help control the narrative—or turn a blind eye.”

Hera handed Persephone a glass of clear liquid. Despite the harsh smell, she took a sip; it burned and wasn’t a pleasant taste, but it went down more smoothly than she expected.

“So, how do we control the narrative?” Persephone asked as the gin burned her stomach; it gave her another anchor to reality.

“That all depends on what you want,” Hera shrugged, sitting on the couch. “Do you want to try to sweep it under the rug as a mistake, or do you want to be truthful? As much as my dear ol’ husband doesn’t want more drama surrounding his precious Olympians, he accepts that Apollo may be brought low publicly due to his actions today.”

“I don’t want everyone to know my business,” Persephone shook her head, “but Apollo can’t be permitted to get away with this either.”

“I’m sure we can find a balance,” Hades assured her, running his hands gently up and down her arms. “In the meantime, Hecate did message me that the bigger stations, along with the tabloids, are asking for a response. It could be an opportunity to take control, or I could tell them all to fuck off. It’s whatever you desire, Sweetness.”

The latter was tempting, but Persephone was worried it would be a show of cowardice.

“I would like to record a response. Do you have a good camcorder around here?” she asked.

“We can absolutely find one,” Hades said, immediately moving to accommodate her request.

It wasn’t more than ten minutes later when Aileen appeared, camera in hand. She left as quietly as she came.

“How about we take this to my office?” Persephone asked. The others looked at each other for a moment before following her through the door that joined the two offices of the monarchs.

Persephone fiddled with the camera and tripod for a moment before Hera shooed her away and took over. Persephone checked that she looked presentable, sat down at her desk, and nodded at the Queen of the Gods. The camera gave a small beep, and a light came on to indicate the recording had begun.

“For those who may not know me, my name is Persephone,” she began, voice stronger than she felt. “I am the goddess of spring, and newly coronated Queen of the Underworld.” She gave a small smile, glancing briefly over to Hades for a moment before becoming more serious and staring at the camera lens. “Earlier today, several magazines released stories about me with some incriminated photographs. They are playing up a story about a supposedly-promiscuous goddess, unfit of her station.”

Persephone closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, they were sharp, her countenance fierce.

“Let me be absolutely clear. If you were one of those who published the story, you have lost any respect from, and good relationship with, my king and our government. Congratulations! You’ve posted the pictures of my assault. Through the benevolent leadership of our leader, Zeus, I was already in the process of pursuing justice. It is because of that justice that my assaulter released those photos. Unseen are the expressions of reluctance of someone being taken advantage of by someone older and more entitled. What was a private issue, dealt with with discretion, has been made a spectacle.

“I cannot forbid people from having these tabloids, as you are not in my kingdom; however, if any of you continue to publish those issues, if anyone posts them online, you will face my lawyers in court. And I assure you, I can afford the best ones.” Persephone’s slight glare held a promise of power. She learned forward slightly.

“As far as my assaulter who shared those photographs—don’t worry, your punishment has only begun. You wanted war, and so you shall have it.”

After a beat of silence, Persephone nodded at Hera who then turned off the camera.

“How was that?” Persephone asked, more exhausted than before.

“Glorious,” Hades murmured, enraptured by the confidence and strength of his wife. “You were phenomenal, Kore.”

Hera came over, eyeing Persephone with a piercing look before softening, showing nothing but the respect one would for an equal. “You conducted yourself as a true queen.”

“If that didn’t have Apollo shaking,” Persephone smirked, “then Ares and Hecate will.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! If you did, please drop some kudos and leave a comment below. It's a huge motivation for continued stories in the future!!


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